Act III: Growing Stem
by Bellarsam Chrisjulittle
Summary: The third part of my large story "Fleur de L'Amour."  Please read Acts I and II before reading this one.  Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Maria walked away from the childrens room tired but smiling. She had nothing short of revelled in the small joys and dramas of putting seven excited children to bed, from brushing Gretl's hair to catching the boys not brushing their teeth. The evening had been so joyful, the children happy to have her back and Max making everybody laugh.

The Captain had been the most quiet, but certainly not the least happy. He had seemed content to just sit back and enjoy the returned joy in the household. His gaze, when not on his children, was on her. Even when she didn't see it, she could feel it. But she didn't feel uncomfortable by it, because she knew that in his gaze was nothing hurtful. Since their shy greeting, they had not been able to talk to each other beyond shy glances and small smiles and blushes. Maria knew that, sooner or later, they would have to talk alone. There were burning questions in his eyes he wanted her to answer; Maria had seen that.

Coming to her bedroom door, Maria was caught by surprise. Sticking out between the door and the frame was some paper. Curiously, she pulled it out before going into her room and shutting the door. Sitting at the chair by her window, Maria looked more closely at what she had found.

One was a sealed envelope with a letter inside; it was addressed to her at the Abbey. Confused, Maria looked at the second piece of paper, with no envelope. Unfolding that, Maria immediately recognized the handwriting of her employer. Only one line was written:

_I was going to mail this to you, but obviously you've saved me the trouble._

Now even more curious, Maria opened the envelope and pulled out the letter. There was his handwriting again, and Maria began to read:

_Dear Maria,_

_If you have no wish to hear my name again, I apologize. The last thing I want to do is hurt you again; I have made too many mistakes. But after meeting your brother and talking to Max this morning, I cannot help a small feeling of hope that you may want to hear what I want to say._

_I only propose this: that you come back to finish your term as governess to my children. They miss you very much, and I'm sure you must miss them. _

_But there is something else you must know. I can no longer deny that my feelings for you run deep, Maria. Please believe I would never, ever do what I said in a drunken frustration; I care too much about you to hurt you again intentionally. If you are still uncomfortable around me and cannot forgive me, I completely understand. _

_If, however, you can find it in your heart to care for me as well, I would like your permission to court you. There is so much I want to make up to you, to tell you, to show you, to treat you the way you deserve to be treated, but that must be up to you. One word from you is all I need. Whatever you wish, I will do._

_Think about it. Please, Maria._

_Georg Ritter Von Trapp_

Maria's head was spinning. He wanted to court her. _Court _her. She barely knew what that meant. What came to mind when she read that word was a young man calling on a young woman's house with a flower, preparing to meet her parents. What did the Captain have in mind when he wrote that word? And would Maria want that as well? She looked down at the letter again, reading how there was so much he wanted to make up to her, tell her, show her, treat her . . . She was not afraid of him, she was pretty sure he would never do anything to make her uncomfortable, especially after all that had happened.

One part of her mind said, "Are you ready for this? Do you truly want to have a new relationship with the Captain?" After all, she'd never had this kind of relationship with a man before; for the longest time, she never expected to have one. But things were different now, and the other, bigger part of her mind said in reply, "Isn't that why you came back? To explore these new feelings?"

Sighing, she knew that now was the time to talk to him alone. Perhaps she could wait until tomorrow, even a few days, but she remembered that he still needed to know of her decisions. The thought of leaving him in the dark for longer, when he'd already been through so much, didn't sit well with her.

So, tightening her stomach, Maria put the paper into her bedside table-draw and headed out of her bedroom to look for him.

The first place Maria went was his study. The light was off and the door was shut. If he had already retired to his room for bed, she would not bother him. But he might be outside . . . It was a beautiful evening, after all, why should she not take advantage of it, as she normally would.

A warm breeze, uncharacteristic after sundown, touched her when she stepped outside and she closed her eyes. It seemed to reassure her that she had nothing to fear. God was telling her He was still with her, through thick and thin. When she opened her eyes, Maria saw the Captain. He stood at the gate to the lake, gazing out over the calmly rippling waters, with his hands clasped behind him.

As Maria softly came closer, she wondered what he was thinking. Did he want to be alone right now? Should she perhaps wait until tomorrow? But somehow she knew she couldn't; it was now or never. So she took a deep breath, as if she were about to dive into the lake, and said softly, timidly, "Excuse me, sir?"

The Captain almost started at the sound of her voice and turned around. The sight of her took his breath away, standing there in that blue dress she had worn to dinner. Perhaps he was reading too much into the situation, as he usually did, but her choice of wearing that dress definitely meant something, especially considering its origins. "Fraulein," he greeted, hating that he used that term, but he didn't know what her reaction would have been if he'd given her her proper name.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you –" began Maria hesitantly, trying not to get lost in his gaze again.

"No, no, it's no disturbance," replied the Captain hastily, not wanting her to go. "It's a beautiful evening."

"Yes."

There was a moment of awkward silence between the two. Maria stood, twisting her fingers, trying to find the words to begin.

"Would you like to sit down?" asked the Captain, motioning towards the nearest stone bench.

Maria cast a glance behind her at the house, and then nodded. They took a seat on one of the indicated bench, not too close but not too far; either way, they weren't touching. Both were adorably nervous, anxious to find out what the other would say, feel and do. Because Maria initiated this meeting, the Captain waited patiently for her to begin. As he did, he just revelled in being in her presence again. He'd missed her a lot.

Finally, Maria found the courage to begin. "I've read the letter you left for me, Captain. Before I can give an answer, there are things I need to tell you, things I need you to understand."

That didn't sound very promising to Georg, but he said, "I will listen to anything you tell me."

His gentle tone and gaze gave Maria courage. She sighed before she began. "It feels like I've been away for more than a week. More like a season or a year."

The Captain felt the same way. He knew his reasons but not hers. "Why do you feel that?"

"Because I came to question many things in my life that I'd always been sure of. It's been scary and hard, I won't deny that. But with the bad came worlds of good: The Reverend Mother helped me, I saw my brother again, and I even ran into Max. I'm sure he's told you all about that."

"Yes, he did," said Georg. "And I'm sure your brother told you how I met him."

"Ah, yes," said Maria, rubbing the back of her neck. "That was unexpected for all of us . . . though I am grateful it happened."

Georg looked at her, surprised at her last statement. He felt the same way.

Maria continued, not sure of the reaction he would show to her revelation. "Anyway . . . I can't find the right word to describe how this last week was for me. _Significant, _perhaps . . . well, one fact that I discovered about myself is this: I am not meant to be a nun. This morning, I told the Reverend Mother I am no longer a postulant."

Georg could not deny the elation he felt at that news. He had felt from the moment he'd met her that the life of the cloistered was definitely not for her. The feelings he had for her had nothing to do with that opinion; it was simply true, and she'd realized it. Neither could he deny the relief he felt. But he betrayed none of these emotions to her; just because she was no longer a postulant didn't mean she returned his feelings.

"So," Maria continued, "Knowing that, I knew I could no longer stay at the Abbey, at least not for long. I still felt horrible for leaving the way I did and missing the children, I could think of no place else I would rather go. So here I am."

"There is no way to properly express my gratitude for your coming back," said the Captain sincerely.

They looked at each other for a moment, and Maria gulped silently; the moment had come that he had been waiting for. "So . . . I've read your letter, sir, and I think I can give you an answer. It's why I came to speak to you."

"I see," said the Captain. Maria, who's nature was usually so open, was hard to read now. All he could see was struggle now, but what she was struggling with he couldn't tell. All he could do was wait for her now.

Maria got up from the bench and walked a few steps away from him, twisting her fingers again. When she had formed the words in her mind, she turned back to face him. She gave him a look he couldn't quite name; the best comparison he could think of was a person staring at a work of art that fascinated but confused them. "By all accounts, I should be furious with you. I should never want to see you or have anything to do with you again. Even for the sake of the children, I wouldn't have come back if I felt that way . . .

"But instead, I find myself wondering. Wondering why, when the Reverend Mother told me she had written to you inquiring after my return, I wished she hadn't to avoid causing you more pain and guilt. Wondering why, when my brother told me of his conversation with you, I at once got angry with _him _for possibly hurting you. Wondering why, it wasn't only the children, Max, and the house I missed . . . but you, too."

Georg couldn't move, barely breathe; he hung on her every word, words he had only dreamt of hearing on very good nights.

"It's obvious that I have feelings for you that extend beyond what a governess should feel for her employer, and that you have similar feelings in return. I know that now, from the way you said good-bye to what you said in your letter, which makes this easier, and makes me feel less afraid."

Georg stood up, but didn't come closer to her. "I don't want you to be afraid of me. Just the fact that you came back is more than I could ask or hope for."

Maria gave him a small smile, but her hands were still wringing nervously. "I only ask that you understand that all of these feelings I'm having, I've never felt before. I can't name them, and I don't think I'm ready to. The experience I have with men is so little, especially in this capacity. And up until very recently, I thought I knew my fate. Since I was a little girl I wanted the life of a nun. But that's all changed now. This past week or so has been a whirlwind for me, and I don't think I can handle any more big changes like that. Will you remember that, promis to remember that?"

"I promise," said the Captain, hardly being able to keep the hope that was flooding through his veins at bay.

She smiled again, shyly but sincerely, as she took a step towards him. "Then yes, I would like to be courted by you."

The Captain, in turn, took a step towards her. They were now a foot apart, and Maria could feel that warmth radiating from him again. It felt . . . wonderful. "Are you sure that's what _you _want, Maria?"

Maria met his gaze unflinchingly, not feeling at all afraid. She knew he understood, and would not hurt her or rush her now. "Yes, very sure, Captain."

He gave her that half-smile she had missed so much, even as he chuckled. "Well, if we are now courting, I certainly don't think you should call me Captain when we're alone like this, Maria, as if you were under my command. We are equals, no matter our feelings. Please give me my name."

Maria smiled, excited by that prospect. "As you wish . . . Georg." His name felt lovely and natural on her tongue, the last sign that said she was doing the right thing for herself.

Georg gave her such a warm look that her heart fluttered rapidly. Gently, he put his hands on her shoulders, brought her towards him, and kissed her forehead. Like the time a week ago he had, the kiss was warm, gentle, but powerful. And instead of tears and sadness, all she had now was peace and a new sense of security that she'd never had before.

Georg pulled away and offered her his arm. "It's getting late, we should head back inside. Safe to say we've all had an eventful day."

Maria laughed and gratefully placed her hand in the crook of his elbow. As he led her back to the house, Maria marvelled at how natural this felt, to walk with him like this. Had she stepped up to his level, or had he come down to hers? Perhaps they'd been on the same level from the start, but walls had separated them. Both were silent, occasionally exchanging a shy but happy glance. Georg couldn't have felt happier or luckier.

Coming inside the house, Georg glanced down at the hand wrapped around his arm, noticing her bandage again. "How is your hand, Maria?"

She looked down at her bandage. "Oh, for days I've forgotten the bandage was there anymore. I haven't even felt any pain. I suppose the burn wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been." She looked at him as she said the last sentence, and he understood and smiled.

"I think it's ready to come off now, if that's how you feel," said Georg. "May I help you remove it?"

"I would like that very much."

Wordlessly, the two made their way into the kitchen. Georg extracted a pair of medical scissors and a slightly moistened towel. Using the scissors, he carefully cut the gauze and tape, allowing it to fall away from her hand. He wiped and cleaned the newly exposed hand with the towel and inspected the burn. Indeed, it had healed, but her skin still bore traces of the boiling water. His fingers gently stroked her hand, paying attention to the healing skin, before realizing she was watching him. He looked up, not sure if she wanted him to keep touching her like that.

Maria only smiled. "It will heal fast."

He smiled back, gently holding that hand between both of his. "Maria, how can I ever thank you for coming back to us?"

She kept smiling and shrugged. "I'll think of something in time, I'm sure."

After another silent and content moment, in which she let him hold her hand in his, the chiming of the clock reminded them of the time. Maria gave a small sigh and said, "Well, I suppose I should go to bed. My exhaustion is starting to catch up with me." She met his gaze again, and her heart started pounding again. "Goodnight, Georg."

He brought up her hand to his lips and tenderly kissed the healing skin. "Goodnight, Maria." Georg let go of her hand, and she went up to her room alone, with a smile on her face and an unfamiliar, giddy feeling.

Georg stood in the kitchen for a long while, not able to wipe the huge grin off his face, as he silently said at least one hundred expressions of gratitude to God for his second chance, and a thousand promises to never take it for granted or ruin it.


	2. Chapter 2

To celebrate Fraulein Maria's return to the Von Trapp Villa, the children proposed a picnic and outing on her mountain for the whole family. The adults agreed eagerly and happily. They had to wait a few days for the perfect conditions, and when it came, the family wasted no time.

The children dressed in their play clothes that Maria had made for them in that first week with them. Maria smiled at the sight, wearing the simple brown and tan dress she had worn with them the first time she had taken them there. "Something about this sight is familiar, don't you think?" she said cheekily.

The children all shared a laugh, and their eyes turned towards the staircase, lighting up at the sight of their father. Hearing his footsteps, Maria turned around and almost gasped. Georg came down the stairs wearing casual clothes: dark brown pants held up by a leather belt, that were hugging his legs intimately, accentuating the moving muscles; worn leather boots nearly up to his knees, but worn in a good and comfortable way; a loose, off-white shirt covered his upper body and was tucked into his pants. Even his hair seemed different – still combed and neat but in a way that made him look a little younger.

Georg noticed her staring and smiled, causing her to blush and look down, caught. While the children chattered merrily all the way to the car, carrying the various picnic baskets and games, they fell into lazy step beside each other.

"I had begun to think you always wore a tie, even to bed," she said, trying to make light of her blushing reaction.

He laughed. "Have I really been so uptight as to give you that impression?"

"Not the word I would have chosen," she replied. "I would say more . . . _refined_. Always looking your best, and very elegant."

"I'm flattered," Georg said, and he was. Not only had he wanted to dress comfortably for this outing, but he wanted Maria to see him outside of the upper-class exterior he was required to have. If he was going to win her heart as she had won his, Georg wanted her to know him: the man, not the title. "But I can't believe you think I wear a tie to bed!"

"Don't you?" She looked a little confused. "I remember my first night when you came into my room during the thunderstorm. It looked like you were wearing night clothes, and even then you were wearing a tie."

"Ah," said Georg, recalling that memory. "Those were _evening _clothes, not what I wear to bed." He felt embarrassed, suddenly. He really was too uptight, wasn't he?

"Oh," she said, and he saw her trying to hide a chuckle, and then suddenly blush again. This young woman was such a mystery sometimes, but so fascinating! Georg knew he could never be bored or tired of her.

Maria was glad he couldn't read her thoughts. After hiding a laugh at the thought of him wearing a tie even when relaxing, she'd ventured to wonder what he _did _wear to bed, and _that_ made her blush.

* * *

><p>Upon reaching the ideal spot for the picnic, Georg stopped to take in the scene. The children had run ahead excitedly, and were already setting up the blankets and baskets full of food. Maria had led the way until they had decided to run, so he was the last to arrive. It truly was a beautiful spot: the Untersberg standing as a guard of honor, the crisp blue sky flecked with small cumulus clouds, the radiantly green grass and wildflowers covering the gently sloping hills that surrounded the mountain. <em>A queen and her ladies-in-waiting<em> thought Georg.

But then his gaze fell on Maria and he changed his mind. If anyone was the queen here, she was, and the fact that he was in love with her was just circumstantial. The way her eyes glowed with some inner sparkle as she looked at the familiar sights, the way her body seemed to both relax completely and yet retain the dignity of royalty. She was captivating.

As Maria looked around, she caught Georg's gaze on her. Even as a tinge of rose colored her cheeks – making her all the more lovely in his eyes – she smiled at him and said, "Welcome to my home."

He smiled in return. "Thank you for bringing me here."

Maria's gaze turned to a nearby tree and her smile widened. She pointed to it and said, "That's the tree I would use to practice climbing on. Now, it's as easy as climbing the stairs, even though I'm not a child anymore."

"Hm," said Georg, looking at the tree, with a sudden spark in his eyes. Without another word, Georg took determined strides towards the tree.

"What are you doing?" asked Maria, suddenly realizing exactly what he was doing. Before she could do anything to stop him, Georg had already grabbed a lower branch and begun to climb. "Captain!" she exclaimed as his feet came off the ground. "Get down!" Both were mindful of the children's presence nearby, so they called each other by title. It's not that they wanted to keep their courtship a secret; it was so that Maria could have something familiar amidst all of the changes in her life.

"You have no sense of adventure, Fraulein," he said as he went further up the tree.

"Look at Father!" shouted Gretl, pointing at the tree.

"Is he climbing?" asked Louisa, incredulously and with new admiration.

"Oh my goodness, be careful!" called Liesl, a hand to her heart.

"He sure has changed, hasn't he?" Kurt asked his brother.

"Maybe he's gone crazy," Frederich replied.

"I heard that!" came Georg's voice near the top of the tree.

After another minute of rustling branches, Georg's upper body appeared and the children all cheered at his triumphant smile from the top of the tree. His gaze turned to Maria, who stood there shaking her head and hands on her hips, but chuckling and keeping a huge grin from spreading across her face.

Georg's spontaneity, up until that moment, was completely unknown to her. She looked forward to anymore spontaneous moments she might witness.

* * *

><p>After the delicious picnic lunch, the children proposed a ball game, four on four. Brigitta, not very athletic but very observant, was voted referee. On one team were Gretl, Kurt, Frederich and Maria. On the other were Marta, Louisa, Liesl and Georg. It was pretty evenly matched, so the games were always close. Maria and Georg became just as competitive as the children during these games, which was not surprising to either of them. There was so much life and energy in the both of them.<p>

For Maria, this was a heartwarming sight, especially when all of the children tackled him to the ground, everyone laughing. She hung back to watch, reflecting on how different they had all been from the first day: from a captain and his crew to a true and loving family. The sight was so powerful that tears came to her eyes, and her heart suddenly felt very full, of both happiness at the sight and sadness for something that had been torn away from her, barely known. Overwhelmed, she covered her face and turned away, wiping away the lone tear that managed to escape.

"Fraulein Maria? Are you all right?" A hand tugging at her skirt made her turn around. There was Gretl, staring up at her with her round eyes. Looking up she saw that all of the children and Georg were looking at her with curiosity and concern, Georg most of all.

Pulling herself together in a flash, she hugged Gretl to her and said cheerily, "I'm absolutely fine, sweetheart, just a little tired."

"Why don't we all settle down for some activities that don't involve running and unfair tackling?" said Georg, rubbing his back and wiping the sweat from his brow. Casting a good-natured scowl at his children, they just grinned mischievously back.

After that, everyone settled down in the afternoon sun. Georg, who was beginning to feel his body reacting to the exercise and excessive tackling, decided to rest beneath Maria's tree in the shade. Frederich, Louisa and Kurt, who were still a bit energetic, settled for throwing the ball back and forth between the other a safe distance away. Marta and Gretl picked flowers near the remaining three, who all were seated on a blanket. Brigitta was reading a book (of course), Liesl was daydreaming and twirling flowers that the little ones brought back between her fingers, and Maria was doing some needlework that she had brought with her.

"What are you making, Fraulein?" asked Liesl.

"Oh, just some flowers for you girls," answered Maria idly, not looking up from her work. Indeed she was; it was a little something she had learned a long time ago from her mother, with the scraps left over from making a dress. Her mother, a talented seamstress, had shown her how to make little flowers, like rosebuds, teaching her that waste can always lead to something beautiful.

Liesl leaned closer to look. "They're so pretty! Can you teach me how to do that some time?"

Maria smiled and looked at the girl. "Of course!"

Brigitta, who had looked up from her book, made one of her uncanny observations again. "Fraulein Maria, where did you get that lovely pink fabric?"

Maria looked up from her work again, as if she'd been caught. "Oh, it's just part of one of the fabrics I received," was her elusive reply and immediately went back to her work. Maria wasn't lying; she just hadn't said _when _she'd received it, which was two days ago. Upon going to bed, she'd found a package on the end of her bed, much like the one Georg had given her with the lovely blue fabric. Sure enough, inside was a new fabric. This one was just as lovely: a lovely rose color, shiny fabric like silk but not, that felt like fluid between her fingers. With the package had been a small note from him: _Thank you for this second chance._

The memory still made her smile.

"And Fraulein, can I ask another question?" asked Brigitta.

Maria chuckled. "All right, oh-ye-observant-one."

Brigitta laughed. "When I came to get you in your room this morning, I saw some roses in a vase. Where did you get those? We have no roses in our garden."

A small part of Maria was laughing at Brigitta's insistent observance, but a bigger part of her felt caught again. She wasn't sure how, or if, to tell the children of the new relationship developing between them and their father. After all, she was still their governess, and she didn't want that to change right now. She decided to tell, yet another, small truth. "Well, every morning I find one lying outside my door, so I think it only polite to give it someplace to rest."

"Ooooh! Who's leaving you roses, Fraulein?" asked Liesl excitedly.

It was no secret to her where the roses came from, but Maria just replied truthfully, "There's never a note, and no one has told me they have left them."

"A secret admirer," said Brigitta, sharing a mischievous glance with her older sister, and they giggled. Like Maria, they too knew exactly who was leaving roses at her door.

Maria decided to end this conversation now before it could turn to dangerous territory, and the fact that she finished her last rosebud gave her the perfect excuse. "All right, these are finished," said Maria, and held out the rosebuds to the girls. "Give some to your sisters, too, all right?" The girls thanked her genuinely and fingered the pretty workings of Maria's hands.

"Fraulein, you look tired," said Liesl. "Why don't you go rest for a while? I'll keep an eye on everyone."

Maria, who did feel tired and lazy in the hot afternoon sun, thanked her gratefully and got up to walk away. She missed another mischievous and excited glance between Liesl and Brigitta.

Not really surprising her, Maria ended up under her tree, looking down at Georg. He was fast asleep on a blanket, on his back. His breathing was deep, steady, peaceful. Not thinking twice, Maria sat down beside him on the blanket, careful not to wake him up. She took this rare opportunity to look at him without reservation.

The breeze swaying the branches above created a dancing pattern of light and dark across his body, which she found fascinating. Her gaze fell on his chest, where she saw the top buttons of his shirt unbuttoned. A few dark hairs were visible between the fabric folds, and Maria felt an unfamiliar wave of heat go through her. She suddenly had a wish to see what he looked like without a shirt, but she pushed that out of her mind quickly, embarrassed.

Turning her gaze to his face, Maria felt a new wave go through her, more tender. He looked so at peace, sleeping as peacefully as a child. He looked younger this way, despite the graying at his temples. The fact that Georg was nearly twenty years older than her had never bothered Maria, even when their courtship had begun a few days ago. She wouldn't change a single thing about him . . .

The most endearing sight to her at that moment, besides the expression on his face, was his hair. It was all mussed up from the days activities. Maria was experiencing so many new things about him today: casual clothes, him actively playing with his children, climbing her tree spontaneously, sleeping peacefully under a tree, and now his usually perfectly-combed hair was mussed. A small, pretty smile crossed her face.

Suddenly, a breeze moved a lock of his hair over his forehead. The opportunity was irresistible. Her hand, almost moving on its own, reached out for his face. She stopped herself just in time, but only for a moment. With the gentlest of touches, Maria tenderly brushed the stubborn lock aside, her fingers touching his skin. It was so warm – which wasn't surprising – and smooth – which was. She became fascinated by it, and allowed the back of her fingers to linger on his forehead.

When the fingers of her hand had slid down to his temple, Maria saw his eyes open and meet hers. She felt caught, guilty for waking him from his needed nap, and immediately lifted her fingers from his face. But he quickly said softly, "Please don't stop."

His tone was softly pleading, filled with compassion, as was his gaze. Both went straight to her heart. Again, her hand went to his forehead, moving from there to his hair, softly stroking.

Georg closed his eyes again. "Thank you," he breathed, still half-asleep and perfectly content. He was soon fast asleep again, and Maria didn't lift her hand from his face until she was absolutely sure he was.

* * *

><p>Finally, the family decided it was time to go home. The children carried the folded blankets, empty picnic baskets, and games with them, all talking amongst themselves happily, all agreeing this had been one of the happiest days of their lives.<p>

Maria and Georg walked some distance behind them. Both walked with their hands swinging at their sides. The third time his hand bumped into hers – whether he did that on purpose or not, she didn't know – on a whim of bravery she took it with her own. Meeting his gaze, wondering if that was all right, he just gave her that smile she loved so much and laced his fingers through hers.

They walked back hand-in-hand, Maria's heart filled with happy butterflies. Their hands felt natural together, as if they were one. She wished she wouldn't have to let it go.


	3. Chapter 3

August came, and Maria sat in the passenger seat of the car nearly shaking with excitement. She and Max were on their way to meet Georg and Dominik for an evening out. Georg had been in town on business, and Dominik had only come to Salzburg that afternoon. The four of them had planned this get-together once they'd found out the date Dominik came to town was the same night a talented music group Max loved were giving a small outdoor concert. She couldn't wait to see the both of them.

Max seemed to notice Maria's excitement and chuckled. "Don't worry, we're almost there."

"I know," said Maria, embarrassed, and absently began to smooth the folds of her dress.

"He is going to be spellbound by you," reassured Max, and Maria blushed the color of the fabric. She had worked like mad to get this dress done before this evening. It had been a challenge – never before had she made a dress like this for herself. The skirt ended just below her knees, and was light and moved with every movement. The top was fitted, and her arms were also completely exposed, though she made sure her shoulders were covered despite the lack of sleeves. It was not only a summer dress, but a summer dress of a woman who was being courted. She'd done this completely on her own, and she hoped she'd done it right.

Finally, they arrived at the small square lit with many lanterns, where music from an unseen group was playing and many people were talking and dancing. The scene was merry and bright. Excitement flooded through Maria as Max helped her out of the car, playing the gentleman. Both looked around for Georg, and eventually spotted him sitting at a table for four near a nice restaurant. When he spotted the pair, his eyes fell on Maria, and a full smile lit up his face. That smile was contagious, for she smiled radiantly back, while at the same time blushing the same color as her dress.

"Hello, Georg!" said Max merrily. "I happened to be walking along and found this rose growing that needed a home." He indicated Maria as he spoke.

Both of the courting pair laughed, and Georg, looking at the woman he loved, couldn't think of a better way to describe her. A true rose in bloom was his Maria. When he'd first met her, Georg would think of her as not much more than a girl older than Liesl. But she had proven that day she had fallen into the lake that, despite her youth, she had a maturity, wisdom and bravery beyond her years, gaining his instant respect. And now, he realized that, despite her inner strength, in many ways she was only stepping into the world of womanhood. Georg felt both lucky and privileged to be a witness to it.

"Has my brother arrived yet?" asked Maria, looking around the crowd for him.

"I haven't seen him yet," replied Georg, who still wasn't able to take his eyes off her. Maria's eyes, meanwhile, scanned the square for the curly head she was looking for. When her sights fell on a music shop, she smiled and shook her head. "I'll bet anyone anything . . ." she muttered before marching towards the shop.

Max took a seat beside Georg and said good-naturedly, "Didn't your mother tell you it was rude to stare?"

Georg finally tore his gaze away from Maria's retreating to give him a warning look. "Max . . ."

But Max just laughed. "You know I tease, and I'm happy for you. How do you feel?"

Georg let himself give a small smile. "I never thought I would feel like a teenager again, Max."

Max chuckled. "So this doesn't get easier with age and experience?"

Georg shook his head. "Only if it's with the same woman. When I courted Agathe, the guidelines and rules of propriety were clear, my road map was paved out and smooth. I not only knew where to go, but had a clear way to get there. But not so with Maria . . ." His voice drifted as his gaze found Maria again. He saw the young man he had met in the music shop come out, his face light up at the sight of her, heard Maria's happy exclamation, and watched the brother and sister share a joyous hug and reunion. As he watched them chatter excitedly to each other, Georg continued, "The circumstances are entirely different now, so in many ways I am flying blind and letting her take the lead. But at this point, I wouldn't have it any other way. Just the fact that she cares for me and is giving me the chance to prove myself is enough."

Max listened and nodded, smiling. Both watched as the brother and sister made their way towards their table, arm in arm. "Hello," he said genially, shaking both gentlemen's hands after he'd dropped his satchel by his chair.

"At last, we meet _properly_," said Georg as he rose to shake Dominik's hand, and everyone had a laugh. Taking the opportunity to be the proper gentleman, Georg pulled out Maria's chair for her to sit down. She flashed him a charming smile in gratitude as she sat down. Dominik cast him an impressed and approving glance, while Max rolled his eyes with a smile.

"Ria, I don't think you would have worn _anything _like that when we were younger," said Dominik, and Maria laughed.

"And why is that?" asked Georg, ever curious about the woman he loved.

"Because I was a tomboy," replied Maria. "I was more interested in climbing trees and running around than in dolls and lace."

Dominik laughed. "You always had so much energy; it had to come out somehow. And sometimes to my well-being." He gave a private smile to his sister, who now looked a bit embarrassed.

"What do you mean?" asked Max.

"Well," said Dominik, who looked a bit embarrassed now himself, but it faded rapidly as he explained. "I've always been shy, and still am, to an extent. And when we were children in school, that stood out with the other boys. They would tease me often for being so mousy, wanting more to practice my piano than to play sports. But whenever they got nasty, Maria was always there to fight for me with words of her own." Dominik chuckled. "Once she even chased a whole group of boys away, yelling at them, and they ran!"

He gave a hearty laugh, and Maria couldn't help but smile, even as she covered part of her face. How must she sound to Georg? But when she braved to look at him, Georg was looking at her with admiration and . . . something else. When he spoke, it was to Dominik, but he let his gaze linger on Maria.

"You know, Dominik, you are very lucky to have such a sister who loves you so much."

There was a moment of silence around the table before Dominik finally spoke. "I know I am," he said as he squeezed Maria's hand. They exchanged a heartfelt glance.

"I'd still do it, you know," said Maria to her brother, for a moment forgetting the other two gentleman to have a private moment with her beloved brother.

"I know," he replied, and after another squeeze of the hands and heartfelt glance, they turned their attention back to Georg and Max, proceeding to have a lovely late meal together. As the minutes passed, Dominik's initial shyness in any social situation faded rapidly. There were no ill feelings between Dominik and Georg, which greatly relieved Maria.

After a delicious dessert, Max turned his attention to the dancing that was going on in the market square that their table was at the edge on. "What a lively tune that lovely group is playing!" He turned to Maria. "Would you do me the honor of allowing me to show off my superb dance skills?"

Maria laughed and then turned her gaze to Georg, who simply smiled and motioned for her to go-ahead. She and Max went out into the square and began a lively dance, leaving Georg and Dominik alone at the table.

"May I offer you some advice?" said Dominik casually, looking at Georg.

"If it concerns what I assume it concerns, then by all means," he replied, returning the gaze. If someone had asked that question when he'd been courting Agathe, he would have felt insulted. But, as he'd told Max before, this situation was entirely different.

Dominik smiled, both confirming that fact and trying to put Georg at ease. "Ask her to dance; she loves to dance."

"You read my mind," smiled Georg. "But I will wait for something slower, I'm not very good at these lively dances. For me, the simpler the better."

"As long as it's a dance, she will love it," said Dominik. "But I will warn you: she doesn't have too much experience with an actual partner. I mean, we were taught the basic waltz and some folk dances at school, but that's all. Mostly she dances to her own tunes and with partners only she can see."

Georg nodded, keeping that in mind. "Anything else? Really, I want to make sure I make no more mistakes. I couldn't bear to hurt her again."

Dominik cast a glance over this man, much like a father would be looking over a boy coming over to court his daughter. It made sense: Dominik was the only family Maria had left. "Always be honest, treat her with respect, and, especially since this is all so new for her, put her at ease as much as you can. After all, you have been through this before and she hasn't. I know my sister, and that could prove a point of worry for her." He leaned forward a little, coming to his most important point. "Make sure she knows that you are courting her, not just because you like her, but because you wouldn't change anything about her."

"And I never would dream of it," said Georg sincerely. "Thank you, Dominik."

"My pleasure," said Dominik. "I want my sister to be happy, especially after all that has happened and how her world has shifted so drastically. And from her most recent letter, and what I've seen tonight, I can see that she is in a good place right now."

Georg felt relieved and sat back in his chair, and applauded with everyone else as the lively tune from the band ended. Maria and Max came back to the table tired but happy from their fun dance.

"So did Max's dancing impress you?" asked Georg, once again pulling out Maria's chair for her.

"Well, it certainly tired me out," replied Maria as she collapsed into her chair. Georg laughed.

"I told you I was skilled," said Max as he sat down, very pleased with himself. Everyone else rolled their eyes.

Time passed and the sun had completely set. The colored lanterns cast a lovely, serene light on the market square. The evening and the music were slowing down, and the band announced they would be playing the last song of the evening. At that, Dominik gave Georg a significant look, and Georg knew it was now or never. She just hoped Dominik was right that Maria loved to dance so much that she would dance with him. A part of him was afraid she may not want to – after all, the last time they had danced, he'd been unable to hide the strong feelings in his eyes and had frightened her. But he knew he had to at least ask.

"Maria?"

The woman he loved looked at him, almost shyly. "Yes?" Was it just him, or did her tone sound hopeful?

"Would you care to dance?"

Her shy look turned into a shy smile. "All right."

They both stood up and Georg offered her his arm, leading her into the square. Neither noticed the satisfied looks on the faces of Max and Dominik.

The last song of the evening was a slow, more intimate song than the previous numbers. The fact that the dance would be an intimate waltz both excited and scared Maria at the same time. But not one cell in her body wanted to turn back now. Georg offered her his left hand, and she placed her smaller hand within his warm grasp. She placed her left hand on his broad shoulder, and her breath caught in her throat as Georg's right hand reached around to rest between her shoulder blades. Their bodies were close but not touching. Still, it was enough to ignite each nerve in their bodies.

The two fell into the slow waltz, Georg leading and Maria more than happy to be led – he'd had more experience than her in this department. At first, she was nervous, but once she looked into his reassuring gaze, she forgot her nerves and, soon enough, they were moving as if they were one. Georg took delight in her smiles and giggles when he would twirl and dip her without warning. She never felt scared; his grip was always strong and warm.

As the dance went on and the tone of the song became even more intimate, everything else around them seemed to disappear, except for the music and each other. Her heart swelled when Georg, never lifting his powerful gaze from hers, moved their joined hands to rest over his heart. Suddenly, Maria felt as if her heart was being pulled towards his. Maria leaned forward, feeling a bravery that seemed to come from nowhere, and touched her cheek to his, her body just slightly brushing against his. Georg's own heart swelled in happiness, and desire swept through him at the sensation of her being closer than even their first dance had been. Knowing how to control himself, he merely exhaled deeply and contentedly.

All to soon for them, the dance ended, but they stayed in that pose until the music had completely died out and applause had begun for the band. Slowly, they moved their heads back to look at each other. Maria truly was blooming like a rose in his eyes. While Georg wanted nothing more than to press her closer to him, he settled for kissing the hand he'd held to his heart. Maria smiled, and the two regretfully headed back to Max and Dominik, her arm looped through his.

Max and Dominik had watched them the entire time, and had smirks on their faces. It was all too obvious how much those two felt for each other – they couldn't deny it even if they wanted to. Both knew better than to comment about even their dance – Maria would be embarrassed and uncomfortable, and Georg would get the urge to punch somebody.

"Well, it seems this lovely evening has come to an end," said Max regretfully, stifling a yawn.

"Yes, I should head back to my lodgings," said Dominik, picking up his satchel and turning to Maria. "But I have something to give you first."

"Oh really?" said Maria, her mind still on that magical dance.

"Yes," said Dominik. "Since I have to leave town before your birthday, I thought I would give you my gift now."

"Your birthday?" inquired Max, getting excitedly curious. A similar expression came to Georg's eyes.

"Oh, um, yes," said Maria, suddenly looking uncomfortable. "On the fifteenth. It's not a big deal."

"What do you mean it's not –" Georg began, but then he caught sight of Dominik, who's expression was strong and head was barely shaking, warning Georg not to pursue this subject. Feeling it better to trust her brother's judgment, Georg shut his mouth.

"Would you two mind if I spoke to my sister in private for a moment?" asked Dominik in a more pleasant tone.

"Of course," said Georg, and he and Max rose from their seats. Dominik also rose to shake their hands. As they said heartfelt farewells, Maria wondered what Dominik wanted to say privately to her.

When Max and Georg had headed back towards the car, Dominik sat back down and extracted a good-sized rectangle package from his satchel. Maria's eyes lit up in curiosity and excitement. "All right, what have you got for me?"

Maria was surprised to find an expression in Dominik's eyes she couldn't read. Apprehensive, perhaps? Either way, when he leaned over and whispered into her ear what it was, Maria was in no way prepared for what she heard.

Her hands went to her mouth, completely stunned, and it took her a moment before she remembered how to ask the burning question in her mind. "But . . . how?"

"I was just in our hometown recently and visited Stefan. I learned from him that the man who was more a monster than your uncle recently passed away from drinking himself to death."

Dominik paused for a moment, allowing her to take in this news. She merely sighed. "I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner . . . I just can't believe . . . he told me he'd sold it!"

Dominik shrugged. "I suppose the one shred of humanity left in him didn't want to let go of his sister. Stefan said that, just before he passed, he'd told him nothing had been taken out and to give it to you . . . if you could be found."

Tears came to Maria's eyes and hugged the package to her. Dominik wordlessly wrapped his arms around her. Maria sobbed for a moment, knowing she was safe, but soon pulled herself together, remembering that Georg and Max were waiting for her. "Thank you, Dom . . . I can't open it now, tonight, it's too . . . I'll open it when I'm ready."

Dominik nodded. "You know where to find me while I'm in town."

Maria nodded.

"Bye, Ria. I love you."

"I love you, too, Dom."

The brother and sister shared another close hug before going their separate ways for now.


	4. Chapter 4

The next night, Maria excused herself right after dinner to go to her room, saying she was very tired. The children didn't suspect anything, but Georg had noticed how absent-minded she'd been since saying good-bye to her brother. After putting the children to bed, Georg headed to his study, deciding not to disturb Maria if she wanted to be by herself.

As he poured himself a glass of water, Georg thought over what could be bothering Maria, if anything. When she had come back to the car where he and Max had been waiting for her, she'd held a large rectangular package in her arms, close to her heart. But it was the expression on her face that worried him. He'd seen that expression on her face briefly once before, the day of the big picnic. As his children had tackled him, Georg had caught a sight of her face just before she'd turned away. That almost pained expression touched his heart, and he wanted greatly to heal whatever pain she had. For there was certainly something in her past that caused her pain – he'd noticed it outside of the picnic and last night, as well. During their evening walks together, whenever they had discussed Maria's past, she'd always manage to shift the topic somewhere else. The most he knew about her past – apart from Dominik, whom she had no qualms talking about – was that her parents had died when she was eight, and was sent to live with her maternal uncle until leaving for the Abbey.

As the sound of steady summer night rain began to pound on the window of his study, Georg sighed. Well, even if she'd met him for an evening walk they couldn't do it anyway.

Georg heard a soft knock at the door. Not knowing who to expect, he walked over to the door and opened it. The sight of Maria standing there, looking nervous and small holding that rectangular package again, surprised but delighted him. "Maria! I thought you had retired for the evening."

"I can't sleep – couldn't sleep," replied Maria nervously. "Am I bothering you?"

To put her at ease, Georg reached out and took the hand not holding the package. "You never bother me, Maria. Your presence is always a pleasure."

Maria smiled and sighed with relief, looking down at their joined hands. "I wonder . . . if you could help me with something."

"Anything," he replied. "Would you like to come in?"

Maria nodded, and Georg led her inside, closing the door behind them. She let go of his hand so she could look around the room for the first time as he lit a fire in the fireplace to warm up the room.

"Oh, it's beautiful in here!" exclaimed Maria, examining the contents of his bookshelves and walls. "You certainly know how to pick out beautiful things."

Georg turned his gaze towards her as he stoked the fire. "Yes, one could say that," he said as he looked at her, absorbed as she was in exploring.

Maria continued to explore, and her gaze fell on a beautiful model of a large sailboat. "At last, some proof that you're a sea captain!" she joked.

Georg laughed and put the fire poker back in its place. "What _did _you expect a sea captain to be like?"

Maria rubbed her neck, looked at him and shrugged. "I only ever read about sea captains in story books, so I imagined I would meet a big man with a red beard and a pipe or cigar in his mouth, with the house filled with memories of his conquests."

Both burst into laughter, and it was a few moments before either could stop. "I must say, I love your imagination," said Georg, and then thought, _Among everything else._

The two settled down on the couch in front of the fireplace, allowing the firelight and the warmth to wash over them. Like whenever they sat on a bench outside, their bodies didn't touch – but just barely.

Georg turned to her and looked at her gently. "So, Maria, what did you need my help with?"

Maria looked down at the package she was still holding, her fingers trembling slightly along with her voice. "Dominik gave this to me for my birthday . . . he told me what it is but I . . . haven't opened it because I can't . . . _believe _it's what it is and I'm so afraid it's not. I just don't want to be alone when I open it."

"I'm right here," said Georg, his tone rich.

Maria carefully unwrapped the brown paper. When it had fallen away, there in her lap was a wooden box. It was beautifully and intricately carved of rich wood, painted with the colors of spring flowers. "Oh . . ." said Maria, her trembling fingers stroking the lid of the box. "It _is,_ I can't believe it." She looked at Georg with expression of a person who'd found a long-lost treasure, and she had. "My mother's treasure box, where she kept special things in."

"It's beautifully crafted," said Georg truthfully.

"My father made it for my mother just after they were married," said Maria, caressing the lid. "He was a carpenter."

"A very good one," said Georg, still looking at the box. Maria smiled before tentatively folding her fingers around the lid, as if to open it. "How did your brother end up with it and not you?"

Maria sighed. "After my parents died and I moved in with . . . my uncle, I was supposed to get the few treasures they left behind. But my uncle, the moment I moved in, took them and hid them from me, saying he would need to sell them for money to support me." A hard look came to Maria's eyes.

"He had no right to do that," said Georg firmly. "No matter if you were only a child or how poor he was: they were yours and only yours to do what you will."

She gave him an appreciative smile. "I don't know why he kept it . . . I suppose he couldn't completely let go of his sister, or he felt some tiny strand of affection for me after all. Either way, I have it back now. Dominik told me he'd recently passed and left it to Stefan, our music teacher, to give to me if I ever came back. I just . . . didn't want to open it alone, just to make sure I wasn't dreaming this."

"I'm honored you chose me, Maria," said Georg sincerely.

Taking a deep breath, Maria lifted the lid of the box with care, setting it down beside her. Both leaned forward to look inside the box. It was, indeed, full of treasures, but not the conventional kind. Instead of gold and jewels, the box was filled with other little treasures that Maria lifted out with the gentlest care.

One was a pair of little baby shoes. She laughed in disbelief. "Were these really mine, and were my feet really that small?"

Georg chuckled. "Take it from someone who knows: hard as it is to believe, yes, feet are at one point that small."

Maria giggled. There were quite a few mementos of Maria's infant days, including a blond baby curl, pressed in a folded piece of paper. As Georg watched Maria finger that baby curl, he was filled with endearment. She must have been the most adorable baby.

Sure enough, he was proved right as they dug deeper into the box, finding some photographs. One showed a baby girl in a cute white dress, with blond baby girls, big bright eyes and an even bigger smile. Both chuckled, and Maria's cheeks went pink.

The next picture she found made her freeze, and the smile faded. "Oh, my . . ." With trembling fingers she held the photograph of her and her parents. She couldn't have been more than Gretl's age at the time, with long blond hair that had lost it's baby curl but was thick and fair. She was in the arms of her father, a tall and lanky man with strong hands, dark wavy hair, and a gentle smile and expression on his face. Standing close to them, stroking Maria's hair, was a young woman who had an uncanny resemblance to her daughter: same eyes, same face, same hair-color, and same smile.

Georg looked from the picture to Maria, who's lip was trembling as she ran her fingers over the face of her mother. "I never realized how much . . . how much . . ."

"You look just like her," said Georg softly, looking at her with more love than he'd felt before. She probably had not seen their faces again after they had died.

Maria turned that face towards his, and a tear slid down her cheek. Before he could stop himself, Georg reached out to wipe the tear away. Not meaning to, she recoiled when she saw the hand approaching her face. He immediately let his hand fall. "Forgive me."

"No, no, it's not you, it's me," said Maria, ashamed of herself. What a real pile of damaged goods she was! "I'm just not used to . . . anyone touching my face without hurting it, since my parents died."

Georg looked shocked. "Who on Earth would do such a thing to you?"

Maria looked down in shame as she put the photograph down by the box on the coffee table. "My uncle," she whispered. "He drank a lot and sometimes that made him . . . violent." She began to shake a little, and he saw another tear drop to her hands.

Georg now felt disgusted and very angry. How could someone do something like that to her, even as a child? The thought made him want to hunt down this man and tear him apart. But he realized that his energy and thoughts were not meant to be on a dead man – they were meant for Maria, and she was hurting. He took both of her hands in his and said, "Oh, Maria . . . no one deserves that, least of all you."

Maria looked back up at him; new tears had streaked her face. "It's all right. I hardly think about it anymore. Anytime it got very bad, I would run to the barn and Dominik would always be there. It's in the past, and there's no use being angry at memories, I suppose." She gently lifted his hand up a bit. "I won't back away this time, I promise."

Looking in her eyes to be sure, Georg slowly lifted his hand to her face again, and brushed away her tears, using the most infinite care and gentleness. Maria was surprised: she'd expected his hand to be rough, but he was so gentle and the skin was so warm. Looking into his eyes, she realized she was completely safe from harm. On instinct, Maria allowed herself to relax, closing her eyes and leaning into his gentle touch.

The grandfather clock striking the hour broke the spell, and both moved back a little as a reflex to the sound. While Georg suppressed the impulse to punch in the interrupter, Maria turned her attention back to her mother's treasure box. There was still something inside, what looked like old notes and dried flowers. Leaning forward, Maria pulled out one of the folded papers. Opening it, her eyes widened.

"This looks like . . . a love note," she murmured, reading through the message. "My father must have written this to my mother, I can recognize his handwriting anywhere . . ." But she still looked confused.

"What is it?" asked Georg, noticing the look.

"I didn't know they had names for each other . . . I wonder why these, though . . ." She showed him the letter. Georg looked at the names she referred to.

"Hero and Leander . . ." He murmured, those names familiar. He had definitely read them somewhere. After a few moments of thought, he said, "One moment," and got up from the couch. Maria instantly missed the warmth that came with his closeness – she realized with a blush – but stayed patient and watched as he began to browse his bookshelves. As he did, he spoke to her, "Hero and Leander are names from a Greek myth. It told the story of two young people who lived in cities separated by a sea called the Hellespont. Leander, a brave young man, fell in love with the fair Hero. But apart from the distance and the sea barrier, there was something else that kept them apart: Hero was a priestess to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and had taken a vow of chastity. But she fell in love with him, as well, so their meetings were in secret."

Maria listened with fascination, and a strange sense of déjà vu as well when hearing of Hero and what she did with her life. Clearing her throat to shake off the feeling, she asked, "How did they meet?"

As Georg answered, he pulled down the book he was looking for, took his seat beside her and began searching the pages for his goal. "Leander, being a brave and love-struck fool, swan across the sea every single night to see her. Hero lived in the lighthouse on the shoreline, and she lit the lamp in order that he would not get lost."

"Oh, how romantic!" said Maria. "And brave but foolish!"

Georg shrugged and said casually without stopping in his task, in order not to scare her. "Love makes a person do crazy things. Take it from someone who knows."

Maria giggled. "Yes, I suppose I should. But I must say, I can't imagine you ever being foolish."

Georg chuckled and found the marked page, showing it to her. "Christopher Marlowe, a gifted poet who knew Shakespeare and died too young, made the story well-known by his poem of the lovers."

"Now it makes more sense," said Maria. "My father loved literature."

"Well, you are more than welcome to borrow this to read," said Georg, offering her the book, but she pushed it back towards him, looking shy again.

"I wonder . . . would you read it to me sometime?" she asked.

Georg was surprised by her request, but not in a bad way. "If you really want me to, and only if you help me."

"Then yes," Maria said. "But not tonight, it's getting late."

Georg nodded and, after marking the page, set the book on the coffee table besides the treasure box. Looking back at Maria, he found her looking at him with a fond look.

"You have a wonderful voice, you know," said Maria.

"When I'm not barking orders, you mean," he said, meaning it as a joke but not without a flicker of pain crossing his eyes.

Maria saw it, and longed to put him at his ease. "May I tell you something, Georg?"

"Of course, Maria."

"What I overheard you say in this room . . . I've forgiven you. Since you said good-bye to me, in my heart I completely forgave you."

Georg's heart seemed to overflow. This was all he'd been hoping for from her, even though he never allowed himself to fully, thinking he didn't deserve it. Whether he did or not, Georg realized he shouldn't have thought she wouldn't, eventually, forgive him. Her nature was so loving and not hostile at all. Oh, how he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her with all of his soul! But Georg was afraid, scared of frightening her. She had, on instinct, recoiled when he'd tried to touch her face, even if it wasn't his fault. He would not scare her or do anything to make her feel powerless. So, he settled for gazing back into her eyes and taking her hand in his again. "Thank you, Maria."

Maria nodded then shivered involuntarily. Even with the nearby fire, her summer dress was not serving her well this cool, rainy night.

"Are you cold?" asked Georg.

Maria nodded, and moved closer towards him. Why was he always radiating warmth?

Feeling her come closer, Georg took that as a sign it was all right to do at least one thing he wanted. Gently, doing his best not to surprise or scare her, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, keeping his eyes on her face for any sign she didn't want him to. But to his delight, she did. In fact, once she felt his arm settle around her shoulders, she gave a contented sigh and rested her head on his shoulder, leaning into him. He smiled, and held her to him with that arm, taking her hand with his other.

Maria held his hand with both of her own, gazing at it and gently caressing it. Wrapped in this security and warmth, she felt sleep and exhaustion rapidly coming upon her. When she felt him kiss her head gently, a grin flitted over her face. Georg, in turn, pressed his cheek to her hair, reveling in the sensation of being so close and at ease with the woman he loved. No matter he couldn't do more with her that he so wanted to; tonight, this was enough, more than enough.

Both sat on the couch close to each other, watching the fire dancing in a content silence, exhaustion and sleep coming to take its prey.

* * *

><p>After the fire had died, Maria woke up from her doze. A little disoriented at first, having not planned to fall asleep, she looked around the now dark room. It was much quieter now without the crackling fire or the rain falling; the clouds must have cleared. As her awareness came back, she realized that she was still on the couch, and Georg's now limp arm was still around her. The sound of his steady breathing confirmed that he, too, had drifted to sleep.<p>

_What time is it?_ she thought as she rubbed her face with her hand. Hoping that Georg wouldn't get angry, gently she shook his hand. "Georg, wake up," she said softly.

He groaned and woke up, rubbing his own face. Looking confused, he asked, "What happened?"

"I think we both fell asleep," said Maria apologetically, pulling back to look at him, his arm falling from around her, making her feel colder than ever.

"Well, this shouldn't surprise me," said Georg, rubbing his hands together absently, his elbows resting on his knees. "I was very comfortable."

Maria smiled and blushed, looking down. "Well, we should both go to bed now. Those seven children always have a lot of energy in the morning." She reached out and took her mother's treasure box. Before getting up from the couch, she turned to him with her heart in her eyes. "Thank you for everything tonight, Georg."

Georg smiled gently as they both got up. "No, thank _you_, Maria."

Maria wished she didn't have to part from him suddenly, but knew she would see him in the morning. "Well . . . good-night, then."

Then, for the first time, Georg leaned forward and gently kissed her cheek. "Sleep well, Maria," he whispered in her ear.

Blushing and smiling again, Maria nodded and left the study to go back to her room, thinking of what it would be like to sleep in his arms all night long . . . and to feel his lips on other parts of her body.

Maria groaned. With those thoughts in her head, how on Earth was she supposed to sleep alone _now?_


	5. Chapter 5

The next night, the room of the three older girls held no sleeping souls just yet. While Brigitta was wrapped in a book like usual, Louisa lay sprawled on her bed, staring at the ceiling in thought and absently twisting her yellow hair between her fingers. Liesl was at the window seat, searching for something she was expecting to see out the window. Before long, Louisa pulled out of her reverie and noticed.

"Liesl, are you looking for anyone in particular?" she teased. "I don't think telegrams are delivered this late."

Liesl made a face at her sister before turning her gaze out the window again. "Where are they? Those two always take evening walks together when it's nice out."

"You mean Father and Fraulein Maria?" asked Brigitta, looking up from her book.

"Mm-hm," said Liesl, still looking out for them. She shook her head. "They definitely would have passed by now . . ."

"Will someone please fill me in on what's going on between those two?" asked Louisa. Though she was thirteen and just beginning to turn into a woman, she was a tomboy still and didn't like to think about her body and life changing just yet, at least not while it was still summer.

"Well, they're courting, I think," said Liesl, turning to look at her sisters.

"And what exactly does that entail?"

"From what I've read about," said Brigitta knowledgeably. "Courting means when a man likes a woman and shows it to her properly. It's what a person does when they like another."

The three girls exchanged a smile and a squeal. "So have those two finally realized they are in love?" asked Louisa.

"Well, they definitely know they have feelings for each other," said Liesl. "They wouldn't be courting if they didn't. And as far as knowing they're in love . . . I don't know. I mean, I don't think Maria's ever been in a relationship with a man before, at least not a serious one. Whenever we've talked together, she's mentioned crushes but nothing as serious as –" Liesl paused, stopping herself from saying anything about Rolfe. Though only these two sisters and Fraulein Maria knew of the relationship between her and Rolfe, she didn't like to talk about it too much. This was her first real romantic adventure, and preferred to keep it to herself. Also, it had been a while since Rolfe had come with a telegram, longer than he'd ever been before. But she pushed those worries to the back of her mind, and resumed talking with her sisters.

"Either way, at least they're doing something!" said Brigitta triumphantly.

"And you know what else courting means, right?" said Liesl with a smile.

"What?" asked Louisa and Brigitta.

"From what I've read and all I've heard, a man never courts a woman to just show her he likes her. He always has some plan or hope for a future with that woman. No courting comes without intentions, or at least hope."

The girls all shared an excited smile. And that inspired a spark of an idea in Louisa.

"You know what," she said as she got off the bed. "I think I'll find out where exactly they are."

"Louisa, if they see you –" said Liesl, a warning in her eyes. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"How else are we going to get answers?" said Louisa, moving towards the door. "And don't worry about me being caught – if I can climb up to the governess's room with a jar of spiders in one hand, I think I can be sneaky enough to not get caught."

She flashed her sisters a mischievous smile before slipping out through the bedroom door.

* * *

><p>The next morning before breakfast, all seven of the children gathered, by Liesl's orders, in her room. When the boys had rubbed their eyes and seemed fairly awake to listen, she began the meeting.<p>

"All right, everyone, last night Louisa went on her own little snoop to find out what is going on between Father and Fraulein Maria."

"You did?" said Frederich, impressed. Though he and Louisa were often butting heads more than their other siblings, they shared the greatest of respect and understanding.

"Yup," said Louisa, who was feeling very pleased with herself after a successful mission. "They usually take a walk outside when it's not raining, at least that's what Liesl told me. But last night, when they usually pass beneath our window, we didn't see them at all. So I decided to see where else they could be. First, I checked both of their rooms –"

"_Louisa!_" exclaimed Liesl, her face beet-red and looking horrified.

"I just wanted to know if they had gone to bed early!" said Louisa defensively and honestly, realizing what _else _that could have meant and turning beet-red herself. Thankfully, the other five children had completely missed the implication, so hurriedly Louisa moved on. "So I sneaked down to the first floor and saw that a light was on in one room. Though the door was closed, I saw firelight streaming out from the cracks."

"What room was it?" asked Kurt.

"Father's study," said Louisa. "Though I was upset the door was shut, it ensured more security for myself. So I sneaked up to the door and listened to anything I could hear inside."

"What did you hear?" asked Liesl.

Louisa wrinkled her forehead. "I don't know . . . not specifically, anyway. I heard Father talking, but it was strange. As if he were reading poetry. _Love _poetry."

The other children gasped, and Brigitta's eyes lit up. "Oh, I wish I had been there! I might have been able to recognize the poetry!"

"Well," said Louisa. "I assumed that he wasn't just reading aloud to himself, but I didn't hear Fraulein Maria, so I looked through the keyhole." She paused as she smiled a secret smile.

"Well?" said Liesl impatiently.

"I had to lean at an odd and uncomfortable angle to spot them, but both were sitting on the study couch. Father was reading aloud from a book to her, and . . . he had his arm around her."

All of the children oooohed excitedly, and Liesl clapped her hands once.

"And Fraulein Maria?" asked Brigitta.

"She had her head on his shoulder!"

At this, all of the children got even more excited. Once everyone had calmed down, Marta said, "Does this mean Father and Fraulein Maria will get married, and she will never have to leave us?"

"Slow down, Marta," said Liesl, gently. "Right now, they are just getting to know each other. They aren't even engaged."

"Yet," said Kurt.

"We don't know that, Kurt," said Liesl, trying to be objective, but in her heart she knew that was where she wanted this to lead. Maria had become her best friend and older sister, and to have her as a mother would be the most natural and wonderful thing in the world. "Let's just see what time unfolds."

"What does that mean?" said Gretl, idly picking up one of Brigitta's more colorful books from the bookshelf to look at the pretty cover, though she only knew her letters now.

"It means we must be patient, and allow things to happen naturally," said Liesl. "One can't force these things, you know."

"But one can help it along, can't they?" asked Brigitta, who was looking at the book Gretl was examining; one of the back illustrations caught her interest. "Gretl, can I see that book?"

"What are you up to, Brigitta?" asked Frederich, watching his little sister search through the book to her destination.

"Gretl, Marta, how about we act out a fairy tale this morning?"

Both of the little ones instantly nodded yes to their favorite game, while the boys groaned. "Do we have to?" asked Kurt.

"You two can play a big dragon," said Brigitta, and smiled as they smiled, knowing that would appease them. "We can have Father be the prince this time."

"What's the plan, Brigitta?" asked Liesl, a slow smile spreading across her face as she began to understand what Brigitta was up to.

In response, Brigitta showed them the fairy tale she had turned to. All of the children smiled.

Then a knock came to the door and the children immediately snapped to attention, Brigitta closing the book with a snap. Fraulein Maria poke her head in, looking surprised at the sight of all seven of them gathered together before breakfast.

"What are you all up to?" she asked playfully, but not without wanting to know the answer.

"Oh, you know, just talking about what we want to do today," said Louisa, who had a small smirk for the Fraulein. "Marta and Gretl want to play fairy tales this morning, may we?"

"Of course we can," said Maria smiling. "Now, come on, breakfast is ready."

The children all eagerly got up and followed their governess down the stairs, the excited smiles on their faces not going away.

* * *

><p>"Am I missing something here?" asked Maria when the children had led her into a small clearing in the garden, and the end of the hedge maze. "Usually I have to pry Gretl and Marta apart when they argue over who gets to be the princess."<p>

"It's all right, Fraulein Maria," said Marta as Liesl laid out a blanket for Maria. "All Sleeping Beauty has to do is sleep, there's no fun in that."

"Well, thank you," said Maria, sarcastically but smiling.

"The point is, we wanted to give you a break, I suppose," said Liesl. "We know wrangling seven of us can't be easy."

Maria was surprised, but pleased, not suspecting any other possible motive for this act of kindness. She settled down on the blanket. "I'll be sure to fall asleep if I hear anybody coming."

"Yes, do that!" said Kurt excitedly, and that caused Maria to raise her eyebrows as the children rushed away.

Deciding to enjoy this moment to herself, Maria laid on her back on the blanket, looking up at the shifting white clouds in the blue sky, and began to daydream. But she wasn't aware that it soon turned to real dreaming, and truly became a sleeping beauty.

* * *

><p>This was how Georg discovered her when he found her.<p>

It hadn't taken much persuading from the children for him to join in the game; after all they had been through, Georg never missed an opportunity to be close to his children. And the game had been fun, playing the handsome prince who was to rescue the sleeping beauty. He did notice that their governess was not with them, but all the children would say is that they wanted to give her the morning to rest. All he thought of that was how kind of his children to offer that, but he did miss her.

Playing out the adventures with the children had been fun, from figuring out the riddles of the witch Brigitta to sword-fighting with his two sons, who turned into a dragon when he had beaten them both. His final task had been to go through the maze of hedges, where the sleeping princess would be at the end of it. Georg assumed that one of Marta and Gretl's dolls would be used for that role.

He was very wrong, he found, when he came to the end of the maze. There, lying on a blanket, was a true sleeping beauty. For a moment he forgot everything else as he allowed himself to gaze upon Maria, and how at peace she looked, how lovely in the late morning light. She lay on her back, with one hand resting on her stomach and the other at her side. Georg then realized, by the steady breathing, she was legitimately asleep. He chuckled.

He heard seven sets of smaller footsteps coming from the maze and quickly turned around and stopped the children before coming into the clearing. "All right, children, the game is over, go wash up for lunch."

"But, Father," said Gretl. "You have to kiss her to wake her up!"

Georg raised his eyebrows. Perhaps he was emanating his dearest wish onto his children's faces, but to him, they all looked as if this was what they had been waiting for.

However, he reached for the book Brigitta had brought as his authorship knowledge kicked in. "Let me see . . ." he murmured, searching for the right page. "Aha! It just says in this tale that the prince merely kneels down beside her and she wakes up. No mention of a kiss in the Perrault version of the tale."

Brigitta winced as all six of her siblings turned to her with annoyed looks. How could she have forgotten it was only in the Brother's Grimm version the princess woke up by a kiss?

"Either way," said Georg, who couldn't quite wipe a small smile off his face. "Your governess is really asleep. I'll wake her up, and you seven go wash up for lunch. We'll see you then, all right?"

Seven children who looked like their brilliant plan had failed all walked away. Once they were out of sight and earshot, Georg chuckled again and turned back to Maria, who was still sleeping peacefully. There was the smallest of smiles on her face; she must have been having good dreams. Georg gingerly sat down beside her, and his mind wandered back to the day of the picnic. How she'd found him in a similar position and had touched his face for the first time. It was the first time Georg had truly been reassured that Maria felt something for him that was akin to what he felt for her.

Georg thought of the fairy tale, and how easy it would be now to kiss her soft, pink lips, that looked so appealing now. Oh, how he wanted to . . . but he held himself back. He would not kiss her in such an intimate way without asking her permission. While the other kisses he had given her all could come from a friend, a kiss on the lips would make it all too clear his true feelings for her. Georg would not venture to do that unless he felt she was ready.

So, remembering what she herself had done, Georg reached out and tenderly brush some strands of her gold hair off her forehead. Feeling even more love for her, he leaned down and tenderly kissed her between the eyes.

When he pulled back and removed his hand, Georg saw Maria stir and wake up. She saw him sitting beside her and her eyes widened. She also blushed, which Georg didn't understand. Of course, how could he know she'd been dreaming of him?

"Georg? Wh . . . what happened? Did I fall asleep?"

"Most definitely," said Georg, smiling at her. "I had no idea you would take your role as Sleeping Beauty so seriously." _After all, she was sleeping and is a true beauty._

Maria's eyebrows rose. "You were playing, too? I didn't know."

"I didn't know you were playing, either," said Georg. He thought of his children, who had obviously wanted to play matchmaker. While he found it sweet, he decided not to tell this to Maria, for fear of pushing her.

Maria sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Am I late for lunch?"

"Not at all, but it's in ten minutes. I would, however, like to talk to you about something."

"What about?"

"Well, I know your birthday is on the fifteenth, which is about a week and a half away. I wondered if you would like the children to know or not."

Maria was surprised by his question. "Why would you need to ask my permission, Georg?"

"When Max and I found out that your birthday was coming up, you didn't look exactly enthusiastic about it, almost as if it pained you. And you know if the children find out, there is no way they will let your birthday go by unrecognized."

"Hmm," said Maria, folding her hands in front of her face, resting her lips slightly against her joined fingers. "Before my parents died, I did look forward to my birthdays. After that, they were days I partially dreaded. My uncle always seemed to remember it, and show me just how much he hated that I'd been born."

The tone of her voice was hard, speaking of her pained past. Georg reached out to stroke her cheek. "And there are many people who are so blessed that you were born."

Maria smiled and leaned into his gentle touch. "It wasn't such a bad day. Usually I spent it at the Abbey with Dominik. The fifteenth of August is the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother; it's why my name is Maria. The nuns would always celebrate it with a beautiful service."

Georg smiled and continued to stroke her cheek, lost in her soft beauty.

"As for your question, then yes, I don't mind if you tell them," she finished with a slightly cheeky smile.

"How nice to hear," said Georg, who took her hand and they both stood up. "Then you won't mind if I gave you a birthday gift."

"What?" she asked, her curiosity and excitement now peaked. But Georg just kissed her hand and started to walk back towards the house, a smile on his face. "I suggest you wash up for lunch," he called over his shoulder with a wink, leaving a confused Maria behind.

* * *

><p>Maria was the last to arrive at the table for lunch by a good few minutes. During that time, Georg told the children of Maria's upcoming birthday. As the children excitedly began to brainstorm what they could do for her special day, everyone was silenced when they heard a happy exclamation coming from the second floor. They could hear Maria coming to lunch the whole way down, for she was singing rather happily. While the children were officially confused, Georg had to bite back a smile.<p>

She obviously liked his gift.

Maria entered into the dining room glowing and with a huge smile. "Hello!" she practically sang. "Who's hungry?"

"Fraulein Maria, why are you so happy?" asked Gretl as Maria sat down at her usual place beside her.

"Oh, nothing," said Maria, turning her gaze to Georg at the other end of the table, the huge smile never leaving her face. "I just _love _music!"

He allowed himself to smile now, and both began their lunch completely happy while the children ate without the confusion leaving their faces.

Every once and a while, Maria would pat her dress pocket to make sure the tickets to the opera for her birthday's eve were still there and were real.


	6. Chapter 6

After lunch, the children went into the schoolroom for their study hour. Maria didn't have too much to do during this time, just to occasionally help Marta and Gretl and to make sure Kurt and Frederich were not falling asleep. This day, she barely paid attention to the children, still stuck on cloud nine. The children occasionally sneaked a curious glance at their governess, wondering why on Earth she was so happy.

But as Maria kept thinking about going to the opera with Georg, a thought hit her like a brick from above: what did one wear to the opera? Wasn't it a place where formal dress was required? Like the party for Elsa? Maria had nothing like that to wear! What on Earth was she going to do?

"Children, would you excuse me for a few minutes?" she said and hurried out of the room, not wanting the children to see her new anxiety.

Maria headed towards Georg's study; he'd had some paperwork he needed to do. The only thing she could think of to do would be to ask for some more material so she could make herself something proper for the occasion. But before she could come near his study, she stopped herself. Suddenly, Maria felt embarrassed. If she'd come from a background like his, this wouldn't even be an issue. No, she couldn't bare to face Georg and remind him of her economic status. There was still some pride in her. No, she couldn't turn to him in this matter. Besides, how much did he really know about ball gowns, anyways?

The sound of merry whistling on the stairs made her look up. Max was walking down the stairs. Knowing this might be her only hope, Maria called out.

"Max?" she called, and he immediately stopped when he spotted her.

"Hello!" he said as Maria approached him. He immediately noticed her anxious look. "What is it, Maria?"

"Um, I'm not sure you can help me but I can't think of anybody else," said Maria.

"Well, let's walk," said Max kindly, looping his arm through hers. When they had reached the terrace and begun their walk, Max said, "Now, my dear, tell Uncle Max what's bothering you."

"Well," began Maria, instantly feeling a reassurance that she had done the right thing approaching Max. "For my birthday, Georg has bought the two of us tickets to the opera."

"Oh, how wonderful!" said Max enthusiastically. "So that's why you were so happy at lunch and why Georg looked so pleased with himself."

Maria laughed but then thought of her immediate predicament. "The problem is that I have absolutely nothing to wear. I don't even know what I would be required to wear to an opera!"

"Hm," said Max, thinking of what a solution could be. When it came to him, he stopped walking, stopping Maria with him.

"I know the perfect person!" said Max triumphantly. "Come with me, I need to make a phone call."

Maria, deciding to just play along for her own good, followed Max's hurried pace back into the house.

* * *

><p>The next afternoon, Max drove Maria into Salzburg to meet the person he had called, who thankfully was in town for a week. He had only told Maria that she would be meeting a good friend of his that would be able to help her. But once he had pulled up outside a shop in the upper-class fashion district, Maria instantly spotted who he'd been eluding to.<p>

_Why didn't I think of her before?_

After giving Max a grateful kiss on the cheek, Maria exited the car and hurried towards Elsa Schraeder, who looked just as classy and elegant as ever in her lavender dress and blazer. "Hello, my dear!" said Elsa, giving a genuine smile and reaching out her hands to take Maria's, pulling her in to kiss both cheeks.

"Oh, Baroness – I mean Elsa, I've never been so happy to see you," said Maria, who could already feel the relief washing over her. "I hope you didn't come down from Vienna just for my sake."

"Don't worry, I'm in town this week for a few parties I've been invited to. It is no trouble at all."

"Well, I'm very glad to hear that," said Maria, and she meant it. If anybody could help her in this situation, Elsa was the perfect person.

"Now," said Elsa, hooking her arm with Maria's and leading them down the street. "Max told me that you and Georg are going to the opera next week."

"Yes," said Maria, who was reminded of the awkwardness of the situation. Elsa, after all, had once become almost engaged to the man who was courting her. But Elsa seemed completely at ease, so Maria decided to be too. "A gift for my birthday. The performance is on the fourteenth, the day before my birthday."

"What is the show?" asked Elsa.

"Um . . . _Tristan and Isolde,_ which I've never heard of before and know nothing about," said Maria.

"Ah," said Elsa. She knew the title, possibly seen it once before in Vienna, but that had been years ago and didn't remember much about it. "So, Max said you needed help finding something appropriate to wear for the event."

"Exactly," said Maria. "After all, you have seen my wardrobe and know I own nothing that would be half as appropriate. My first thought was to go to Georg and ask for some material to make myself something, but that instantly seemed like a bad idea. Aside from not wanting to ask him for something expensive, I realized that I had never made a gown before, and wouldn't know where to begin as far as making something suitable."

"Well, don't worry, Maria," said Elsa reassuringly. "I'm taking you to see a dear friend of mine, a wonderful couturier who can design anything for anybody. She'll know exactly what you need."

"Oh, that sounds lovely," said Maria, as a new worry settled in her mind. "But I'm not sure I'll be . . . well, my wages may not be able to cover –"

Elsa stopped outside their destination to look at Maria kindly and firmly. "This is a birthday gift from me to you, no objections. Is that understood?"

Maria was about to object before Elsa had finished her sentence, but she could see in Elsa's light blue eyes that there would be no room for argument. Swallowing her silly pride for once, knowing that she needed this gift, Maria gave Elsa a look of complete gratitude before being led into the shop.

Immediately, Maria noted the almost Victorian decoration of the inside of the shop, but the colors were warm and the décor was lovely, so she decided not to be intimidated but intrigued.

A small tinkling bell sounded as they opened the door, and a woman who looked Elsa's age with rich chestnut hair came into view with a genuine smile at the sight of them.

"Elsa!" she exclaimed, and the two women greeted each other. "What a nice surprise! What brings you here today?"

"Not for myself, but for a friend of mine," said Elsa, motioning for Maria to come forward. "Helena Vera, meet Maria Rainer."

"Lovely to meet you, Miss Rainer," said Helena, reaching out to take Maria's hand. "What can I do for you today?"

The woman, though dressed as elegantly as Elsa, had an almost motherly air about her, though she didn't look a day over thirty-five. Maria was instantly put at some ease, though some nerves were still there. "Well, in a week I will be going to the opera, and I have nothing appropriate to wear."

"Ah," said Helena, and Maria could see a spark come to her eyes as she looked the young woman over, as if she were already inspired and beginning to imagine what she would create for Maria. "Well, not only will you need a gown, but some white gloves and the proper shoes. Do you have anything specific you want for your dress?"

Maria thought, and two images came to her mind. The first were the Grecian statues on the terrace outside the ballroom, where she and Georg had danced that fateful dance. The second was an illustration in the book Georg had read the Hero and Leander poem from. The picture was of Hero, in a lovely gown on top of the lighthouse, looking out for Leander. "Well . . . I wonder if you could possibly reflect Grecian drapery in the design. I've seen illustrations and sculptures of that and I like it very much. Other than that, I would like the gown to be simple and modest; I've never worn such a formal gown before."

"Well, my dear, I completely understand," said Helena, who's head was immediately switched into gear of the beautiful gown she could create for this lovely young woman.

"May I add my own suggestion?" pitched in Elsa, and the other two nodded. "I think the color should compliment your lovely eyes, don't you think, Helena?"

"Absolutely," agreed Helena, and held out her hand to Maria. "Come, my dear. We'll take your measurements and pick out the fabrics."

* * *

><p>Five days later, the day before her date with Georg at the opera, Maria went back to Helena's for a final fitting. She'd been so pleased to hear that Helena – with the help of her assistants – had managed to make her gown in the span of these few days. But they were, after all, professionals.<p>

Standing in the tiny dressing room that was curtained off, Maria managed to zip up the back of her dress. It fit her like a glove, which felt so good, knowing this was made for her. Looking down, she smoothed over the lovely turquoise fabric. The color was so lovely and vibrant in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, Maria parted the curtain and came out of the little cubical.

Waiting for her were Elsa – for it was her last day in Salzburg – and Helena. They gasped and smiled at the sight of Maria.

"Oh, how lovely you look!" said Helena, motioning towards a stool in front of several long mirrors. "Come and stand here, Miss Rainer, and I'll just finish the hem."

Maria obeyed and got up on the stool. Only then could she get a proper glimpse of herself, and now it was her turn to gasp. Helena had created a truly beautiful gown for her that exceeded any images and expectations in her mind. She'd listened to all of the suggestions, requirements, and concerns that Maria had presented. Everything had come together in complete harmony. "Oh, Frau Vera, it's so beautiful!"

"And you are beautiful in it," replied Helena, bending down to finish hand-stitching on the hem.

"And I know for a fact that Georg will find you beautiful in it," said Elsa, giving a smile in the mirror for Maria.

Maria blushed and lowered her head. Looking up at Elsa again in the mirror, she shook her head slightly as she spoke. "I must say, Elsa, it's quite a relief that you have no problem with me being courted by him, after everything that happened."

Elsa reached out and took Maria's hand. "I will admit that when I first met Georg a year ago, I thought we might be good together. We were both lonely people, widower and widow, and everyone seemed to think we made a perfect match. And when he invited me to the villa, it was all too clear that's what he was thinking as well. But once I arrived, it became abundantly clear that it was not me he had been searching for, and he realized it too. We never felt anything for each other that a potential husband and wife should."

Maria looked at Elsa and the sincerity in her eyes. More than anything, it gave Maria another reassurance that she was doing the right thing, allowing Georg to court her. The fact that the children seemed to have no problem with it was a help, as well.

Elsa looked at this young woman and assessed the situation with that brilliant insight she had. From what she had heard from Max and the little Maria had said about her relationship with Georg, Elsa could see that nothing serious had happened yet. Though Max had not told her explicitly, Elsa could deduce that Georg knew of his love for Maria. After all, he had been through this before. As for Maria, Elsa could see that Maria loved Georg, but she obviously either wouldn't acknowledge it or didn't know.

Her conclusion was that both of them were frightened, even if marginally. Georg was frightened of moving too fast or hurting her; Maria was afraid of a world that she was not familiar with. Both were reasonable, but Elsa hoped that their fears would disappear as their feelings, which couldn't be hidden, unfolded before their eyes. And if Elsa could help in this small way, for her old friend and her new one, that pleased her.

The moment of understanding passed between the two women, and Helena smiled in silent observance. Elsa had told Helena her side of this whole story, and dearly hoped for this young lady to be happy. She certainly looked radiant in this gown, and her eyes sparkled at the mention of Captain Von Trapp. Helena wished them both the best.

"I love what you've done with the fabric, Frau Vera," said Maria, turning to the side as Helena motioned for her to do so. "It's exactly what I hoped for and more."

"Well, Grecian draping is always pretty, and a technique I've used for a long time," said Helena. "What a great idea to use it for this gown!"

"And the color is absolutely perfect," said Elsa, walking around to the other side, seeing it from another angle. "This turquoise makes your eyes sparkle like aquamarines!"

Maria lowered her eyes at the compliment, but then looked at herself again. She was grateful that the V-necklines in the front and back were not too plunging. It was the most beautiful dress she had ever worn.

"How can I ever thank the both of you?" she murmured as she looked at her reflection.

Elsa just shared a smile with Helena. The former was thinking, _You can tell me all about Georg's reaction to him seeing you in this dress._

The latter thought, _Come to me to design the wedding dress._

* * *

><p>When Maria arrived back at the house, she carried her dress which was safely encased in a black covering on a hanger, she made to go right up to her room. But a beautiful sound from the distant music room made her change in her tracks. She would know that instrument anywhere: the piano. Remembering that Dominik had meant Georg browsing for piano music, she smiled and tip-toed towards the entrance.<p>

Peeking in, Maria saw him sitting at the beautiful grand piano, playing a beautiful piece masterfully (in her opinion). She tip-toed again towards the sofa near the door, carefully setting down her wrapped dress and seating herself down to listen. She was sitting at an angle where, even if he could not see her, she could still see his right hand playing. Maria had learned a long time ago that she could never get tired of watching hands at work: whether distant memories of her father carving to Dominik learning his scales, this was a sight that always fascinated her. And Georg's hands were beautiful. They were one of the first things she had been attracted to about him. And now she knew for herself how strong, warm and gentle they could be, whether holding her own or caressing her face.

When his piece had finished, Maria clapped quietly. She giggled as he almost jumped on the bench and turned around.

"Sneaky little witch," he muttered, but he was smiling.

Maria giggled again. "I'm sorry, I hated to disturb you while you were playing."

"Haven't I told you before that you are never a disturbance?" he asked, his gaze on her warm and loving.

She blushed and looked into her lap. "I believe so. I'm just used to being a disturbance I suppose."

Georg got up from the piano and approached her, offering his hands to her. Maria took them and he helped her up. After kissing her brow gently, he asked, "How was your trip into town?"

"It was lovely, my dress is all finished," said Maria, motioning to what she had brought in. "Is it time for dinner?"

Georg reluctantly let go of one of her hands and pulled out his pocket-watch to check. "Hm, very nearly."

"Then we should probably get ready for that. Where are the children? With Max?"

"Yes, I believe they're out on the terrace, singing . . ." Georg suddenly got a look of mock-horror on his face. "Oh, dear God, what have I done?"

Maria burst into a full laugh, and Georg smiled at the sound. He loved how he could make her laugh, and how she could make him laugh in turn. "Well, I'm going to put this dress in my closet and wash for dinner." But before she let go of his hand, she entwined her fingers with his as she said in a rich voice. "You play beautifully, by the way."

He kissed her fingers before letting her go. Whatever dress she had gotten, he couldn't wait to see her in it, and how beautiful she was sure to look.


	7. Chapter 7

Maria was surprised as she put on her new, long, white gloves. She'd expected them to feel tight or constraining on her hands and fingers, but instead seemed to mold right to each as if they had always been there.

She looked at herself in the mirror again, and thought of yesterday, when she had asked Elsa if she should wear any make-up. To her surprise, Elsa had scoffed and laughed.

"_My dear, you are too young to need to wear make-up. Your cheeks are naturally rosy, all of us wish for skin like that, and you need no paint or pencil to bring out the loveliness of your eyes."_

Learning that had been a relief to Maria, who never liked the idea of smearing paint on her face, as if she were hiding something or trying to change her face. And somehow, she could sense that Georg would not like her to do that either.

There came a knock at the doorway, and Maria went to open the door, revealing Max. "I've been asked as messenger boy from an eager and nervous sea captain who is waiting downstairs, eager to see his date."

Maria chuckled and rolled her eyes. "I'll be right down, Max."

Max looked her over from head to toe approvingly. "I will bet anything that Georg will be left simply speechless at the sight of you." He laughed at her blush and walked away.

Maria rolled her eyes as she shut the door. She doubted that anyone, much less she, had the power to turn Georg completely speechless in admiration. But she couldn't deny that she hoped dearly that Georg would approve of her apparel.

Only one thing was left to be done. Maria walked towards where she kept her mother's treasure box, and took out the only piece of jewelry her mother had left behind: a simple pearl necklace. This piece was just modest and beautiful enough for Maria, and she smiled as she clasped it around her neck.

Going into the bathroom to look at herself all done, Maria gasped. Was this really her? She didn't recognize herself at all, with this beautiful turquoise Grecian gown, white gloves, pearls and all. And what would Georg think? She blushed just to think of it. Never before had she worn something that showed so much skin. Granted, the cut was still modest, compared to other gowns and pictures she had seen, but still . . .

Only one way to find out.

* * *

><p>Max came down the stairs to find all seven children standing together, chatting excitedly, and Georg, dressed in a crisp black tuxedo and tails, standing near them. Max could see he was restless by the movement of his fingers at his sides. One who knew Georg well could always tell his true emotions by his hands, Max had concluded a long time ago.<p>

"She'll be right down," said Max, coming off the stairs.

"Good," said Georg distractedly, the movement of his fingers not slowing.

"Father?" chimed in little Gretl.

Glad for the distraction, Georg turned towards his children. "Yes?"

"Will the singers tonight be as good as Fraulein Maria?"

"Well, do _you _think anyone can sing as good as Fraulein Maria?"

Gretl giggled and shook her head, while the older girls shared a sly glance, catching the meaning behind his retort.

"You look very handsome, Father," said Marta, giving a smile that showed her half-grown incisor.

Georg smiled and gave a dramatic bow. "Why, thank you, my lady," he said in a mock posh voice. The girls giggled and curtseyed to their father.

The sound of a familiar laugh from the stairs made everyone turn towards its source. All of the children gasped. Max simply smiled. Georg froze and his eyes widened slightly at the most beauteous sight he'd ever seen.

On the landing of the front door, there stood Maria, fully dressed for the opera. Her smile faded as she saw the nine people below her were all speechless and staring at her, especially the person she would be spending the evening with. She felt butterflies in her stomach as she blushed, keeping her gaze lowered as she descended the few stairs onto the floor.

The spell was broken by the children. "Oh, Fraulein, you look so pretty!" said Louisa.

"You look loverly!" said Marta, and the children shared a giggle at the uncommon word.

"Are you a princess, Fraulein Maria?" asked Gretl.

Maria laughed and gave Gretl a confused look. "What on Earth gave you that impression, sweetheart?"

Max chuckled at the conversation, and had to suppress louder laughter when he looked at Georg. He seemed frozen as a statue, and hadn't yet said a word. His gaze never wavered from the figure of Maria.

"And princesses have crowns," finished Maria, smiling.

"Twirl, I want to see your dress twirl!" ordered Gretl.

Maria laughed and turned on one foot lightly, her skirt swishing prettily. The girls applauded and giggled.

Liesl came forward and offered Maria's cloak to her, helping her put it on. Seeing this seemed to snap Georg out of his frozen position. "Yes, well, we don't want to be late. Children, you behave yourselves while we're gone, even if Uncle Max allows you to run amuck. All right?"

The children nodded and Max pretended to look offended. Georg headed for the front door, and Maria followed, waving one last time to the children. Once the front door had shut behind them, Liesl said, "Oh, she looks so beautiful."

"Father didn't seem to think so!" said Louisa. "He didn't even say anything!"

Max chuckled, satisfied. "Oh yes he did, he just didn't speak." When the children gave him confused looks, Max just said smugly: "I _knew _he would be struck speechless."

* * *

><p>When Maria and Georg were alone outside the house, an awkward moment passed where Maria waited for Georg to tell her where the car was. At first he just stood there, the fingers of his left hand wiggling restlessly. "Well, um . . ." he started, trying to sound like his usual, collected self, but failing miserably. "Why don't I just, uh . . . I'll fetch – I mean get – the car, you just – wait here." With that, he hurried away towards the garage.<p>

Maria stood dumbstruck for a moment. She'd never seen Georg like this. At first, she thought his lack of response to her made her believe he didn't approve of her, but somehow she knew he would sound more gruff or disappointed, and he hadnt. He seemed . . . was he nervous? Soon, she started to chuckle. To see this usually completely collected Captain have an awkward, nervous moment was quite funny. And on a subconscious level, she knew that she had something to do with it.

Georg, meanwhile, never felt more embarrassed as he walked towards the car. Getting in, he took a moment to try and snap himself out of it. He'd expected Maria to be lovely – there was never a time when she wasn't – but to have his breath completely taken away, struck dumb to say anything to compliment her, and feeling as if he were a teenager who'd just gotten a date with the prettiest girl in town. He hadn't felt like this since he _was _a teenager! Maria clearly had no idea of the power she had over him; he hadn't fully realized it until now. Georg knew he couldn't go on much longer before telling her of his love, but not now. He decided to just see what the evening would bring to them both.

So Georg drove up to the front of the house, determined to get back to his normal self; he realized, seeing Maria waiting for him, that his behavior might make her feel very confused, even ill-at-ease. That thought gave him some of his old courage back.

Maria made to get into the car, but Georg quickly got out and said, "Wait, allow me." He walked around the front of the car to her side, and opened the door for her. Just before she got in, Maria felt a warm hand on her waist stop her short. Maria felt his warm breath on her ear before he whispered, _"Beautiful."_

Maria closed her eyes, and felt a shudder of heat go through her entire body. Her heart seemed to flutter rapidly. She was thankful that he let her go right after he said that word, and she immediately got in the car. She used the few moments before he got in as well to collect herself and clear her head.

He caught her staring at him just before he started the engine. _"Handsome,"_ she murmured, looking at him.

"I know," he said casually, and a rather silly-looking grin formed on his face at what she'd said, as the sound of the engine starting couldn't drown out the lovely sound of her laughter.

* * *

><p>From the moment the two arrived at the Salzburg Opera House, Maria felt herself being swept into a new world, from the moment the valet took the car to park it. Doors were opened for them, and Maria gasped at the splendor of the lobby. There were few people left there, for the performance would begin in a few minutes. Those who were there reflexively turned towards the doors to see who had just come. Georg noted that quite a few of them got wide-eyes at the sight of Maria, and he suddenly felt a surge of honor that she was there with him, holding onto his arm.<p>

He showed an usher their tickets, and he immediately led them up the grand staircase to where their seats were, also handing them each a fancy program.

Maria gasped when he opened the door to the private box where they would be sitting. "Georg! How on Earth did you find us seats like these?"

"A close friend of mine holds season seats," replied Georg, glad of Maria's pleased reaction. "He and his wife are out of town, so I asked if I could put his empty seats to good use."

She smiled as she seated herself, and gasped as she leaned forward to take in the sight of the grand theatre. "This is like . . . being inside of a jewel-box!"

Georg held back a chuckled and gave her a fond look. He remembered the difference of their backgrounds, and how sights and places like this would fill Maria with awe. As a person who preferred the privacy of his study to the glitter and glamour of public places, he found Maria's young enthusiasm highly refreshing.

They had no more time to talk, however, for at that moment the conductor came out to take his place in front of the orchestra. With that, the opera began.

From the moment Maria heard the full orchestra sound, she was swept into the magic of the opera and everything about it. The one concern she'd had disappeared instantly when the singers began to sing. She'd been afraid she would not be able to follow the story, but the libretto was in German so she was covered there. Maria watched, entranced, as the story of the star-cross'd lovers unfolded: Tristan, an English knight, is bringing Isolde, the Irish princess, back home with him so she can marry his uncle, King Mark of Cornwall. At first, they hate each other, then they share a love potion and that all gets turned around. Drama followed when Isolde married her love's uncle.

There were three acts to the opera, and in the two intermissions, Georg and Maria stayed in their box, eagerly talking over the opera. Neither felt the need to go out and socialize; they had the best company in each other.

For the couple, the most poignant moment in the opera came at the very end. Tristan had just died in Isolde's arms, and she follows after him, singing the final song, called her Liebestod, or literally "love death." She dies in a kind of ecstasy, knowing she is soon going to join her love. To Maria, it was fascinating, having never known such a pleasure before.

Georg, too, was riveted. He knew the pain of losing the person they loved. At times, immediately after Agathe's passing, he'd felt as if he would die of the grief, alone in his study with the hard liquor coursing through his veins. He'd have given anything to go through what Isolde was going through after she'd lost her love. But God had other plans for him, and he was grateful for that now. What would have become of his children if that had happened? He couldn't bear to think of that. God truly had not given up on him, looking at his life now. And, if he did not make another mistake, he might have a chance to be whole again. With Maria.

Turning to her, Georg's breath caught to see her leaning forward slightly, entranced by the song, her eyes sparkling. One of her gloved hands was clasping the simple pearl necklace she wore around her neck, that he recognized from her mother's treasure box. It must have belonged to her . . .

Georg then realized that Maria's eyes were sparkling with tears, and his heart went out to her. She was clearly just as affected by this scene as he was, in a very personal way. When he saw her beginning to tremble, possibly trying not to cry, he reached out to take her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. Her head turned sharply and their eyes met. Georg nearly gasped at the expression in her tear-filled eyes. She looked as if she were seeing him for the first time, or something completely new to her. There was wonder, awe, and something else in those lovely eyes . . . something he was too scared to define, but something he dearly hoped was not a figment of his imagination.

In that moment, Georg could almost feel something binding him to her, and he knew that he would always be in love with her. He not only needed her as mother of his children, but as his companion through life. _My soul mate.._.

Was it just him, or had their faces come closer together? Had he moved? Maybe. Had she moved? Possibly. Some kind of gravity, or magnetic force, was pulling them together. Maybe it was their hearts, already entwining. When he felt the puff of her breath on his lips, he knew they had come too close . . . achingly close . . . almost perfectly close . . .

The sound of applause and many shouts of approval broke the spell and both pulled back automatically, both reeling from what had almost happened. They applauded as hard as they could, doing anything necessary to collect themselves again.

The spell may have been broken prematurely, but something had changed, or evolved, between them in that moment.

* * *

><p>On the way back from the opera, rain started pouring down. Lightning and thunder soon followed. Georg was an excellent driver and knew where he was going, so Maria was not worried. She was glad for the rain even, as something to be captivated by. After what had happened, or nearly happened, she was eager to have some time with God. She needed to talk to Him alone in her heart.<p>

Georg parked the car in the garage, and got an umbrella out of the backseat. He let Maria out, and she gathered up her gown and cloak so they would not get wet. They ran to the front door of the house, huddled under the umbrella, Georg's arm securely around Maria. Both were extremely grateful that Franz had left the front door open for them. They came in panting but refreshed.

"Well, that came on rather quickly," said Georg, taking off his drenched coat and closing his umbrella.

Maria laughed when she got her breath back. "I'll say."

"Your dress didn't get ruined, did it?"

"Oh, no, it's –"

A rather loud thunderclap that shook the windows interrupted her, and some shrieks came immediately after, coming from upstairs.

"Still afraid of thunderstorms, I suppose," said Georg, more sympathetic than teasing.

"Poor dears," said Maria, looking in the direction of their rooms. "I should go comfort them." She turned again to Georg, knowing this was where they parted for the night. She suddenly felt at a loss for words, after what had nearly happened in the balcony. But she realized at least what _could _tell him. "Thank you, so so much, Georg. The show was . . . I can't describe how wonderful that experience was."

"You're welcome, Maria," said Georg simply. "It was my pleasure."

After a slightly awkward moment of silence, Maria said, "Well, I should go . . . check on the children." She went up some of the stairs but then stopped abruptly. After a beat, she turned back around and headed back to Georg. Before he could react at all, she'd taken his shoulders, stood on tip-toe, and kissed his cheek with her heart on her lips. "Goodnight," she breathed, and practically ran back up the stairs to the children's rooms.

Georg stood at the first floor landing for quite a few moments afterward, his dripping coat over his arm soaking into the sleeve of his tuxedo but he didn't care. His hand went up to the burning spot on his cheek where Maria had kissed him, a slightly silly smile beginning to form on his face.

* * *

><p>Some time later, Maria sat in the chair by her window, watching the rain slow to a drizzle and then dissipate. As quickly as the storm had come, just as quickly it disappeared. It really had seemed to let all of it's energy out, though; the poor children had all been hiding under beds and covers when she'd found them. But all was well and everyone else was a-bed. Except her, for she didn't feel tired at all after this evening. Her eyes and ears had been opened to so many new things, and her heart had been . . .<p>

The little clock in her room struck twelve times, Maria counted. The fifteenth had come; she was officially twenty-two. Another year to add to her age, and what a life-changing year – Lord, few months – it had turned out to be!

A soft knock and the sound of hurried footsteps away from her door caught her attention. Getting up, Maria put on her robe before opening the door. Looking around, she saw no trace of anybody. Then she looked down.

There lay a lovely cluster of edelweiss, tied with a red ribbon and a small note attached. She picked it up and fingered the blooms lovingly. She looked at the note. In that elegant, masculine hand-writing were the words:

_Happy Birthday Maria._

She was smiling dreamily as she shut the bedroom door again.


	8. Chapter 8

Because of the late time at which she fell asleep, and also because of the lack of activity near her room, Maria did not wake up at her usual time. She only woke up when the mid-morning sun was streaming brightly into her room. Normally, she would have panicked at the knowledge she had overslept. But nothing frantic or negative entered her mind this morning.

Maria turned onto her side and her gaze shifted to the window. She could see it would be a beautiful day; all of the clouds from the storm last night had been carried away by the wind. Maria still felt her previous sleep slipping away from her, and she closed her eyes, wanting to get it back. She wanted to remember the dream she'd had . . .

_The room was white: walls, carpet, ceiling, door. One open window with gossamer curtains ruffling in the slight breeze, hazy sunlight coming in, giving the room a heavenly glow. The only furniture in the room was a king-sized bed: white wood, pillows, sheets and quilt. She and Georg were on the bed. On, not in. Both were fully clothed and just talking, talking about everything and nothing, like the best of friends. They lay on the bed, Maria's head resting on a pillow, and Georg propping himself up on an elbow. Eventually, he said something amusing and she laughed. When she saw a tender expression and smile on his face, her laughter faded, leaving a smile on her face to return his. After a moment, without a word, he leaned down and kissed her lips. One simple, heartfelt kiss that demanded nothing else. She kept her eyes closed for a long moment after she felt his lips off hers, and when she finally opened them slowly . . . _

She had woken up, and sighed.

Back in the present time, knocking on Maria's door snapped her out of her attempts to fall back asleep. "Come in," she said, too lazy to get out of bed but sitting up.

The door burst open and before Maria knew it, Gretl and Marta had run into the room, climbed onto the bed, and pummeled her with hugs and kisses, all the while giving happy birthday wishes.

"Oh, girls!" exclaimed a surprised but touched Maria, hugging the girls to her. "What an exciting way to be greeted!"

"We wanted to be the first to wish you a happy birthday!" said Gretl, and both girls snuggled under the covers beside Maria.

"Who did my job and got you up this morning?" asked Maria, putting an arm around each girl.

"Father did," said Marta. "He said not to disturb you until 10 AM."

"Why 10 AM?" began Maria, then someone else came into the room holding a silver tray with a scrumptious breakfast and red rose.

"Because that's when your breakfast in bed would be all ready," said the carrier, a smiling Frau Schmidt.

"Oh, Frau Schmidt, you shouldn't have gone to all of this trouble," said Maria, clasping her hands to her heart as Frau Schmidt placed the tray before her.

"No trouble is made for a birthday," said Frau Schmidt, and the women grasped hands. "All of my best wishes go with you, Maria. You've brought happiness back in this house, a truly remarkable feat. On behalf of the entire staff, I thank you."

Maria was so touched tears came to her eyes. All she could do was squeeze Frau Schmidt's hands in return. The older woman seemed to understand, and motioned for the little girls. "Come on downstairs now, and let Fraulein Maria finish her breakfast."

The girls complied, giving Maria one last hug before going.

Maria could already tell this would be her happiest birthday yet.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, Frau Schmidt came back up to take the tray back downstairs. Maria put the red rose in the vase with the other roses there (it was getting full) and dressed in one of her favorite outfits – the dress she had worn when she and the children had fallen in the lake. She placed the edelweiss bouquet in the belt of her dress, and wished her hair were long enough to use the red ribbon. Oh, well. It really wasn't her color anyway.<p>

Upon opening the door, Maria found a note on the floor. She recognized Liesl's handwriting: _Go to the music room. _Confused but curious, Maria decided to obey what the note said. Coming downstairs, she found it curious that she did not see or hear anybody. _What is everyone up to? Just because it's my birthday doesn't mean there should be a big fuss._

Maria came to the music room to find the seven children all standing in their singing formation. Upon her entrance, a piano began to play, and Maria turned to see Georg, who threw her a small smile and a wink. Utterly bewildered, Maria turned her gaze to the children, who all looked nervous but excited.

They all began to sing sweetly to the woman who had brought them back to life:

_I've heard it said that people come into our lives_

_For a reason, bringing something we must learn,_

_And we are led to those who help us most to grow_

_If we let them, and we help them in return._

_Well, I don't know if I believe that's true,_

_But we know we're who we are today _

_Because we knew you._

Maria couldn't move, couldn't speak. Tears were filling her eyes, and she could see tears were filling the children's eyes as they sang.

_Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes the sun,_

_Like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood._

_Who can say we have been changed for the better, and_

_Because we knew you_

_We have been changed for good._

Louisa took over the song, stepping forward and handing Maria a pinecone.

_And just to clear the air, I ask forgiveness for the things I've done you blame me for._

Maria shook her head as she took the pinecone, barely seeing each other through the tears.

Liesl took Louisa's hand and pulled her back into formation, singing:

_But then I guess we know there's blame to share._

All of the children burst out in song to the end, repeating the refrain and overlapping in the lyrics full of similes, finally coming to the end.

_Who can say we have been changed for the better?_

_ But we believe we have been changed for the better._

_ And because we knew you,_

_ Because we know you,_

_ Because we love you,_

_ We have been changed for good._

The song ended and Georg let the final notes fade away.

For a moment, there was loud silence. Maria's vision cleared a little as she took in the sight of those seven wonderful children. At first, she'd been so scared and intimidated of the idea of taking care of seven of them, but once she had seen them marching like that, her heart had opened to them and she'd started to love them. And now . . . she couldn't imagine a happy life without any of them.

Finally, it seemed, she could move. "Oh, children . . ." she said, coming forward with her arms open, and the children rushed into them. Maria found her attempt to hug them all at once was futile, so instead she hugged each child for at least ten seconds each, accompanied with a kiss and gratitude. Tears were shed, and even Georg had a hard time not choking up at the sight. From the time he'd caught his children and governess singing and dancing during a thunderstorm, he'd seen that his children loved this woman. He remembered seeing her surrounded by his children when she'd come back, how perfect the picture had been – that day, he'd looked at his family, the people he would do anything and risk anything for, whom he would take care of and love all his life.

Looking at them now, Georg wondered what might happen at the end of the summer, especially if Maria decided to leave again. The thought of the lovely picture before his eyes tearing apart was enough to break his heart, and taking in the fact that he was completely in love with her . . . Georg knew he had to do everything in his power and conscience to persuade her to stay, because he couldn't bear to think about what could happen if not.

He had to tell her of his love, and soon. With the fifteenth of August, time was running out quickly. But when was the right moment? He would just have to trust that the right moment would come before it was too late. Georg was a man who hated to gamble and risk something close to him, but he had learned that when it came to the big things in life, a gamble was usually involved.

When Maria's tear-filled gaze met his over the seven heads, Georg gave the same heartfelt look the children had given as they sang, and smiled.

She was worth any risk he would take.

* * *

><p>An hour before dinnertime, Georg sat in his study, alone, the telegram in his hand putting him in a black mood. Unfortunately, he would have to leave for Vienna tomorrow on business. The worst was that he would have to stay there for no less than a week. With the ever darkening political climate descending upon Austria, Georg knew he would have to make his appearances in those circles that could easily put him in trouble for any sign of disloyalty.<p>

But that didn't mean he liked it. He and the children had come back from a picnic for Maria's birthday on her mountain. The day had been so lovely, and Maria was so happy today. She and Frau Schmidt were not back from town yet; the housekeeper had some last things to get from the market, and Maria had insisted on helping her, in gratitude for the breakfast in bed.

When Frau Schmidt showed up at his study door, Georg was trying to clear his mind from the dreaded telegram with one of his favorite books.

"We found all that's needed for dinner tonight, sir," began Frau Schmidt.

"Thank you, very good," said Georg, too absorbed in his book to really pay attention.

"Fraulein Maria went outside to be by herself for a while," said Frau Schmidt.

_That _caught Georg's attention. He looked up from his book to look at his housekeeper. "Is she all right?"

"A little shaken up, and most likely a little confused with herself," said Frau Schmidt, coming further into the room.

"Well, what happened, Frau Schmidt?" asked Georg, who was beginning to get worried now.

Frau Schmidt began her story, knowing she needed to tell him. "Well, Maria and I walked out of the market when we walked past a café. Two middle-aged women who were dressed in big hats and had loud voices were talking about gossip from the opera they had attended the previous night. Your name came up, and they talked with shock of how you brought a young woman with you who was supposedly your children's governess, and a postulant no less. I'm afraid the talk became . . . pretty nasty, sir, assuming you had less than honorable intentions towards her, and we heard it."

Georg groaned. "Oh, no, I can't believe there was that kind of talk! And that she heard it on today of all days." He looked out the window, as if to look for Maria, but he couldn't see her. He would hit those ladies if he could, but now he just wanted to comfort his love. Would she get frightened of him again?

"Well, she certainly didn't react in a way they expected," said Frau Schmidt, with a small smile.

"What do you mean?" asked Georg, turning back to the older woman.

Frau Schmidt smiled a little wider and told her boss something he absolutely did not expect.

* * *

><p>"Fraulein?" Franz made his presence known to a quiet Maria, who was sitting on the terrace.<p>

"Hm?" she said, looking up and breaking out of her reverie.

"You have a telephone call from Vienna."

"Oh, thank you very much," said Maria, rising up and following Franz back into the house and to the room where the telephone was. She picked up the receiver and spoke, assuming it would be Elsa, since she knew no one else in Vienna. "Hello?"

"Happy Birthday, Ria."

"Oh, Dom! Dom! I'm so glad and happy to hear from you!" And she was indeed. She needed to talk to someone about what had just happened in the market.

"Just to hear me say that when you know I'm thinking that? What's happened?"

He knew her so well, even when he could only hear her voice. So Maria told him all of what had happened with Frau Schmidt outside the café.

"I couldn't stop myself, Dom, you know how I get! Those awful women insinuated that Georg took me to the opera to cover up his, and I quote, 'rousing nighttime activities with a so-called postulant.' I tell you, I wanted to pull their hair out!"

"And now I do! Don't worry about it, Maria, you always get one or two people like that who insist on twisting everything into a scandal."

"It's not that, it's . . . it's what _I _did that I'm confused about."

"Oh? And what did you do? Make your presence known to the women and catch them red-handed?"

"In the worst possible way . . . Poor Frau Schmidt had to bear witness while I practically screamed at the women that, as a person who lived at the Von Trapp household, I knew that the Captain had nothing but good and honorable intentions towards her – I said her but meant me – and would never use her as his plaything like that. And with that we walked away."

A long paused on the other end of the line, then Maria heard his familiar chuckle. "What's so funny?"

"This just reminds me of when you used to defend me against the bullies at school."

Maria considered this. "Yes, you're right. I should have realized this before. But I just can't help it! If ever anyone speaks badly of someone that I . . . I . . ."

"You what, Ria?" Dominik's tone was gentle.

"I'm so confused, Dom!" cried Maria. "Not just about what had just happened, but something in the opera last night. You know I wrote to you we were going to the opera?"

"Yes, _Tristan und Isolde!_ The best of Wagner, I'm sure. You have to tell me every detail."

"Yes, yes, in a minute, just hear me out first, Dom. It was during the Liebestod at the very end . . . the whole time, all I could think of was my mother. You know how she had nursed my father when he got so ill, and she caught it herself? The scene just reminded me of them so much . . . like Isolde, the love she had for my father . . . killed her."

"Love didn't kill her, Maria, the fever did," said Dominik firmly.

"I suppose you're right. Anyways, I guess Georg could see the performance was affecting me, so he took my hand and we looked at each other . . . With the song in my head, it was like I was seeing Georg for the first time in a whole new light. The way he was looking at me as if he . . . and then I thought that maybe I . . ."

"You love him."

The words were meant to conclude her thought, and were spoken so simply yet gently. But they hit Maria like a ton of bricks. "I . . . I don't know, Dom . . . I've never felt anything like this before . . . How can I know this is love when I've never been in love with anyone? When I never counted on that being a part of my life? Dom, I wanted to be a nun, for heaven's sake!"

"I know, Maria, and I'm sorry for speaking for you, but you don't have to be scared. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I just . . . I don't want to come to the conclusion that I love him when I don't know if he loves me."

Now Dominik laughed. "My dear Ria, I know I've only seen him twice, but each time confirmed in my mind that he, if is not in love with you, is falling very fast."

Maria shook her head, even though they were talking on the phone. "How can that be, Dom? I don't think that is even . . . possible."

"Give me one good reason why not," said an indignant Dominik.

"Unlike me, he knows what it is to be in love. He loved his first wife so much that he not only had seven children as a result of that, he spent four years having trouble letting her go. Fro everything I've heard, she was a wonderful woman. Why would Georg fall for a common mountain peasant like me?"

"You are much more than that, Ria, so much more. And after everything you've done for his family and his children, especially himself, the real question is how could he _not_? And as for the fact that he has loved before . . . Maria, I will never pretend to know why God does and plans what he does. But I can't believe that God would give Georg a love like that, take it away prematurely, and have Georg be lonely and alone the rest of his life."

The thought was enough to break Maria's heart. "No, of course not!"

"Then is it wrong that he should love again? We both know that when we loose someone we love, we never stop loving them, but that doesn't mean we die too. They would want us to live and be happy, not mope around for the rest of our lives and stop living. I learned this lesson from a man I met in Tirol, who had married again after his wife had died. Meeting them, they were so happy and in love. He told me that it's because he loved his first wife he was able to love again; that it would be a disgrace to his wife's memory if he didn't live life to the fullest and love to the best of his ability."

Maria listened to what her brother told her, and it was exactly what she needed to hear. "Well, from the moment I realized I had feelings for Georg, I never once begrudged the fact that, unlike me, this isn't his first time. To tell you the truth, it's even been an asset at times. If he hadn't loved before, those children would not be alive, and I love them like my own. There is nothing about Georg that I would change, including his past. Absolutely nothing."

There was a long pause as both of them seemed to take in what Maria had just said. "Well, my sister, I won't repeat the same mistake and say what you feel for him. Like finding out your place wasn't in the Abbey, this is something only you can decide. Just keep in mind that after what you just said, and what you just did for him in the market, it's obvious you more than just have feelings for him – feelings change all the time. What you describe is something more concrete than that."

Maria gulped and sighed. "I guess I'll find out soon. After last night, very soon, I suppose."

"Don't be scared, Ria, and don't believe you are a person that doesn't deserve to be loved. You are."

"Thank you, Dom."

"You're welcome."

After telling Dominik all of the opera questions he had and heartfelt good-byes, Maria hung up the phone and walked to the window. Her thoughts were all in a tangle after the eye-opening events and conversations of the past twenty-four hours, so she came to no definite conclusions except one: Maria didn't want to define her feelings until she found out what Georg felt. It may have seemed childish and cowardly, but after all, she was in his home, his world, on unfamiliar territory. Who was she to demand what she wanted first?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **_The song is from the musical _Wicked, _with a few words altered to fit the story._


	9. Chapter 9

The beautiful day had turned into a beautiful evening. The sky had remained cloudless, offering no obstruction to the full moon, which cast a beautiful glow on the house and grounds. The slight breeze in the air, still retaining some of the sun's warmth from the day, was exactly what a summer wind should be. The atmosphere was so peaceful, but Maria felt no real peace in her heart, not since the incident in the market.

Dinner with the family had been nothing short of joyous, especially when the children surprised her by carrying in a chocolate cake with lit candles, singing the birthday song for her. She remembered Gretl saying earnestly, "Make a wish, Fraulein!" Maria had looked at each of the children with all of the love and gratitude she could, then her gaze fell upon Georg at the opposite end of the table. Was it just her, or was there something different in his gaze, something more direct than subtle? Whatever it was, she blushed and closed her eyes, and the only thing she remembered about her wish was that his face had remained in her mind's eye.

Now, she waited on the back terrace for him. He had asked her to wait for him, while he took over her duties of putting the children to bed. Maria had no idea what, or if he had something planned. But left alone, her thoughts were churning and offered no respite.

The incident outside of the café kept replaying over and over in her mind, both what the ladies had said and her less-than-ladylike reaction.

It had not been for herself that she had retaliated so strongly – she'd been on the bad end of plenty of gossip as a child and teenager, and was more-or-less used to it – but for Georg. The fact that once, over a month ago, she had confronted him for speaking about her in nearly the same way those women had, made the situation even more of a paradox. She knew she had forgiven him, but this . . .

More immediate on her mind was the very fact that her going to the opera with Georg had been seen, to some in the upper-class, as a sort of scandal. Looking at this situation with outside eyes, Maria began to see why people might gossip. After all, she was both his children's governess and a former postulant, not to mention from the lower class. Of course there would be gossip and speculation. The idea that she could be the reason of a possible smear on Georg's reputation was . . . heart-breaking.

Becoming a little sad with these thoughts, Maria rested her elbows on her knees and opened her palms to her face, looking at them. In the moonlight, she could vaguely see the scar on her left middle finger left from a broken glass. Her fingers were tough from years of sewing experience. Certainly no upper-class lady would have hands like this, allowed to be touched by any sharp or dangerous object . . .

Somehow, so lost in her thoughts, Maria had not heard Georg come out onto the terrace. He found her sitting in that slouched position on a chair, staring at her palms with a sad look in her eyes. Wordlessly, he came in front of her, and only when he took her hands in his did she realize she was not alone. Maria gasped and looked up, and had never seen a more kind expression in his face. He pulled her up easily and looked at her for a moment before saying, "I want to show you something."

Georg let go of one of her hands and led her down the terrace steps to the lake. He opened the iron gate and led her down to the dock, where a little rowboat was tied and waiting. Smaller than the larger boat that could hold the entire family, but lovely nonetheless. As Georg began untying the sailor knot of the rope, he noticed Maria standing on the steps, looking at the boat apprehensively.

"Perhaps this slipped your mind," said Maria, "but my luck on the water is not exactly promising."

Georg smiled. "It's rather hard to forget a sight like that, I admit. But this time, you will not be in a boat with seven excitable children. You may recall I have some experience and knowledge in this particular field."

Now Maria smiled and slowly came down the remaining two steps and towards the rowboat. She took a steadying hand from Georg, and carefully climbed into the boat, taking the seat at the stern. Georg followed and pushed off the boat from the dock. He took up an oar in each hand and began to row, quickly reaching a steady pace.

Though she was in a boat, she felt none of her previous apprehensive feelings. She knew that he would never let her fall in or put her in a less-than-safe situation. She found the movement of his arms as he worked fascinating. And strong, too. Maria remembered the evenings when one of those arms had held her close to his side, while they had relaxed and read aloud on the study couch. How safe she felt . . . Maria wondered what it would be like to have _both _of those arms wrapped around her, to be held flush against his body . . . surely she would feel safe there.

Breaking away from these potentially dangerous thoughts, Maria noticed that Georg kept looking over his shoulder as he rowed, as if he were looking for a specific destination.

"Where are you taking me?" asked Maria.

Georg gave her that half smile she loved so much. "Patience is a virtue, have you not heard?"

Maria made a face at him but couldn't stop the giggle in her throat. She settled for lowering one of her hands to the water and idly feeling it between her fingers. Gently playing and splashing, Maria looked out at the water. The moonlight on the water created beautiful flashes of white on the dark water, dancing and blinking. A jewel mine sparkling couldn't be as lovely as this, surely.

When the boat seemed to bump smoothly against something solid, Maria snapped out of her thoughts and saw that Georg had reached his destination: a very tiny island in the middle of the lake that Maria had only glimpsed on her boat ride with the children. At the time, she'd questioned whether or not she'd seen a mirage. The island itself looked smaller than the villa, with only two or three trees. "So this _is _a real place, then."

Georg got out of the boat and pulled in more securely onto the sand. "You've seen it before, surely."

"Yes, but at quite a distance, and the size didn't help in the light of the bright sun on the water."

"Well, it _is _real," said Georg as he lowered a small weight onto the sand, attached to the boat to keep it from floating away. "I discovered it one morning when I was swimming, and have made it part of my route; it's a good distance."

"You swin in the lake?"

"Every morning at sunrise," said Georg. "Years in the navy made me an early riser and a lifetime lover of the water."

Maria smiled. "Yes, I can see that." Georg offered her both hands and helped her out of the rowboat. "Have you named the island, Captain? I hear that's what sea captains do when they claim a piece of land."

Georg chuckled. "I never thought about that, to be honest. That's something we'll have to think about."

Maria liked that he'd said _we _instead of _I._ That meant he planned to bring her here more often, and she would like that. Maria watched as he took out a folded blanket from underneath his seat and spread it out on the grass near the sand. He took a seat and motioned to the free space beside him. Maria, feeling no fear, sat down at his side. Their hands found each other's and their fingers entwined between them.

"Marta once told me," said Georg, "that one of your favorite things was a sky full of stars."

"Mm-hm," said Maria, almost getting lost in his warm gaze and not really registering where this was going.

"Then I suggest you look up."

Maria did, and gasped. With the absence of trees and lights from the house, as well as no cloud cover, for the second time in her life Maria was able to see the full majesty of the night sky. Stars too innumerable to count, with the full moon as their queen, filled the midnight blue sky. "Oh, Georg, this is . . . the most beautiful sight I've ever seen!"

"I couldn't agree more," said Georg, his gaze lingering on her, but when she looked back at him, his gaze was on the night sky. "These stars are a sailor's best friends when out at sea. They can always tell you how to get home, provided the sky is clear enough. One can only see this many stars away from bright lights."

"Yes. I've only seen this many stars once before."

"When was that?"

Maria sighed, letting her mind go back. "Did you know my maternal grandmother was French?"

"No," said Georg, surprised.

"She met my grandfather, an Austrian, and they moved to his homeland to be married. I never knew him; he died when my mother was a teenager. When my father and mother got married, she moved back to her home. When I was about Gretl's age . . . maybe four or five . . . my mother and father took me on a short visit to see her."

"So you have been to France?" asked Georg, who had been there many times and knew the language well from years abroad.

Maria chuckled. "It was a short stay, and it was a long time ago. My memories are a bit hazy . . ." Maria closed her eyes, willing the memories to come back. "It was fall but still warm . . . I remember the colors were radiant, autumn colors. So many trees. Crisp sky and gentle clouds . . . My grandmother's cottage in a clearing by a forest."

"Do you know where in France she lived?" asked Georg softly, once again entranced by the sight of her. "Perhaps I've been there."

Maria opened her eyes and bit her lip, trying to remember. "It was in the east . . . a rural area outside of . . . Lyon, I think."

Georg nodded, having never been there but knowing the name. "Tell me about your grandmother."

Maria smiled. "She had so much life, even with her silver hair and wrinkles. She seemed to dance rather than walk, and she sang when she did anything."

"Sounds like someone I know," said Georg, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Maria blushed. "I only ever saw her during those few days, but I remember one night she took me to the top of a hill on a clear night, and showed me a sky like this." She waved her hand above her. "I remember her saying to herself as she looked up . . . _Che Dieu . . ._ do you know what that means?"

Georg smiled. "God's house."

This information made Maria sigh and smile. "Somehow I knew it was something like that . . . the rosary I inherited from my mother had been hers, after all." She looked back up at the skies. "_Che Dieu _indeed. How can anybody not see something like this and not know there is a God?"

Her faith awed him, something so strong in her always had. Through everything she had endured she'd had the strength to hold on to the faith that God had not abandoned her. Something he couldn't quite say for himself; how many times had he cursed God after Agathe had died? Georg broke out of his reverie when he saw Maria was not done speaking of her grandmother.

"A month or so ago, Brigitta asked me to read the story of _Beauty and the Beast _to her and her older sisters, I don't know why. I'd forgotten until then that my grandmother had told me that story during my visit . . . She would sing to me, too. Songs she had passed on to my mother. Growing up I had heard my mother singing songs in French to herself . . ."

"Do you remember any of them?"

Maria closed her eyes again. "Some just barely, others fully . . . Looking around me, I think I can understand one of them now, a song my grandmother first sang to me when she showed me a sky full of stars. My mother and grandmother translated it for me when I asked, but the words mean so much more to me now."

"I would love to hear it," said Georg, softly inviting. He loved the sound of her voice, and needed it too.

She was a little nervous now, especially since she would, for the first time, sing this song to the person who had – unintentionally – helped her understand the full meaning of the beautiful words. But she couldn't resist his pleading look, so she sang softly to the sparkling lake and diamond sky:

_Ce rêve bleu_

_C'est un nouveau monde en couleur_

_Où personne ne nous dit_

_C'est interdit_

_De croire encore au bonheur!_

_Ce rêve bleu_

_Je n'y crois pas, c'est merveilleux!_

_Pour moi, c'est fabuleux_

_Quand dans les cieux_

_Nous partageons ce rêve bleu à deux._

_Sous le ciel de cristal_

_Je me sens si légère_

_Je vire, délire et chavire_

_Dans un océan d'étoiles._

Georg was spellbound, as always, by her beautiful, flute-like voice. He'd never heard this song before, and it truly was beautiful and very fitting for the surroundings. Georg felt so glad he could understand the lyrics. He did, indeed, feel like he was in a beautiful blue dream with her.

_Ce rêve bleu_

_C'est un voyage fabuleux_

_Je suis montée trop haut_

_Allée trop loin_

_Je ne peux plus retourner d'où je viens_

_Sur les chevaux du monde_

_Dans la poussière d'étoile_

_La vie contre le temps_

_Infiniment_

_En vivons ce rêve merveilleux._

Her gaze turned to Georg as the song ended, and she hoped he would understand that she was including him in this. It was the only way – sharing this personal memory and beautiful song and declaration – to show her gratitude for him bringing her here, to a place that he had called his own, so isolated and beautiful and magical. Georg did recognize it, and his heart swelled with love for her. He leaned forward and kissed her between the eyes.

The action seemed to make Maria's emotions catch up with her. After all, the last time she had sung that song, her mother had been alive. She put her head on Georg's shoulder and snuggled against him.

"That was beautiful, Maria," said Georg, stroking her back in a comforting gesture. She calmed immediately, even as her heart began to flutter. Gently, he asked, "Did you ever see her again?"

Maria shook her head even against his shoulder. "After my mother and father died, my uncle would not let me keep contact with her. His own mother, too! He never forgave her for moving back to her homeland; took it as abandonment, I suppose." She heaved a deep sigh. "I'll never, ever understand him . . ."

Georg kissed the crown of her head, and a moment of silence passed as he allowed her to calm. Wanting to steer the conversation to a happpier topic, he asked, "Did your grandmother teach you any of the constellations?"

Maria lifted her head and looked at the sky. "Only Ursa Major . . . she's pretty easy to find," replied Maria, and immediately pointed out the four stars of the bowl and three stars of the handle. She pointed to the tip. "And that's the North Star, right?"

"Correct," said Georg. Then he proceeded to point out to Maria other constellations he could see. He enjoyed showing them to her and telling her the myths behind each, and Maria enjoyed hearing them. When he would show her one, Georg would slide his arm underneath and along her own, her hand on top of his, so she could better see the constellations. This brought their heads together, often touching cheek to cheek. While Maria had to fight the impulse to fall into his arms, Georg had to fight the impulse not to lower her onto the blanket and kiss her with all of his might. But both resisted, afraid of scaring the other.

Thankfully, God intervened and a shooting star leaped brightly across the sky.

"Oh, I've never seen one of those before!" exclaimed Maria, trying to look for any others.

"Well, birthday girl, make a wish," said Georg, his gaze on her.

But Maria shook her head. "I've already had a wish today, you take it. I insist."

A smile spread across his face as he looked at her. "Very well, then." _I wish for you to love me as much as I love you, that I may have the honor of marrying you, making love to you, spending life with you at my side for the rest of our lives._

He felt very glad that it was considered bad luck to tell a wish to someone else. Suddenly, he remembered the telegram that had come for him while she had been in town, and wondered what her reaction would be. Sighing, he said, "Maria, I need to tell you something."

The tone of his voice let Maria know that this would not be good news. Immediately fearing the worst, Maria steeled her heart and tried not to let her voice shake. "Yes?"

"Due to business matters that need to be done but I have no desire to do, I am leaving for Vienna early in the morning and will be there for a week."

She couldn't help but feel a little relieved as she said, "Oh!" Then the message sunk in: he would be gone for a week. "Oh," she said again, sounding sad. "Well . . . the children will miss you greatly."

He looked at her closely. "Only the children?"

As she met his strong gaze, Maria discovered that nothing bad would happen if she was honest, so she was honest. "No," she said in a small voice.

"Maria," said Georg, his voice gaining the quality of a low, rich bell. When his voice had that tone, Maria felt as if his voice were somehow giving her the most intimate caress. She felt utterly exposed, and yet unafraid at the same time. "Frau Schmidt told me what happened in town this afternoon."

She should have known Frau Schmidt would tell him everything. Coming to this topic, Maria suddenly felt as common as dirt and needed to put some distance between them. She got up and stepped onto the line that separated sand and grass. She stood with her back to him and crossed her arms. Georg saw how she tensed by the slight rising of her shoulders.

"I just . . . I . . . can't bear the thought of . . . I mean, I'm just a poor, clumsy, outspoken mountain girl and failed postulant . . . Of course people would talk like that, how can I blame them? I just hate to think I could be the reason for people thinking less of you . . . You deserve better than that, better than . . . me."

Maria's voice had become very soft now and she was fighting back tears, he could tell by the trembling of her shoulders. He sat there with his jaw dropping. How could she be so selfless? An ordinary woman would have still been stewing in anger about the gossip against her own name only. But Maria – as different as she was – found her self-esteem plummeting by the thought that she could be a discredit to his reputation.

Georg stood up and walked up behind her, letting his footsteps sound his approach. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders and chest, his cheek pressing against her temple. He could feel she didn't quite know what to do with herself, so he whispered in her ear. "_I _can blame them, Maria, because what they speak of is none of their business. Words are only words; they come and go like changing wind. And what strangers think of me is of no importance next to what those close to me think of me. And what you said, Maria . . ."

Georg turned her around to face him, keeping his hands on her shoulders and their bodies close. "You are so much more than what they say. You brought my home back to life, with music and play and the little things in life I had pushed away. You gave my children the love and attention I had denied them for too long. And you made me feel something I never thought I could feel again." He paused for a moment before continuing. He had come to the main reason he'd brought her out here: no interruptions. "Please tell me some way I can repay you, Maria; I owe you so much."

Maria shook her head. "You've done so much for me already, more than you could ever know. How can I possibly ask for more?" She felt his breath just barely on her face; his eyes were captivating her and nothing could make her look away.

Georg lifted a hand to gently cup her chin, and said in the most intimate tone she'd ever heard him use, "Then will you let me at least thank you?" He gently stroked her bottom lip with his thumb; Maria could have sworn her heart stopped for a moment and closed her eyes. "May I, Maria?" His voice was a soft, pleading, intimate whisper.

Maria opened her eyes and saw the world in his blue eyes, and knew what she wanted. "Yes," she breathed.

Georg leaned forward and Maria closed her eyes. In the next moment, his lips were on hers and was kissing her, gently but firmly. For a moment, Maria stood in shock as everything else disappeared, and the only thing she was aware of was the feeling of his lips on hers and the warmth of his body. Then she felt her lips respond equally, and she slid her hands up his chest and stopped on his shoulders. Georg deepened the pressure and wrapped his arms around her back, holding her gently to him.

To the couple, all that existed was a blue dream and each other.

Their lips parted for breath, and foreheads rested against each other. They stood like that for a long moment, their hearts pounding. Eventually, Maria pulled back slightly to look at him. She lifted a hand timidly to rest against his cheek. Her voice was awe-struck and husky when she spoke. "Can this truly be happening to me? You're unlike anyone I've ever met. Am I making believe I see in you a man to perfect to be really true? Who are you?"

Georg gently took that hand and rested it over his heart; the beating was strong. Looking into her eyes, his tone matched hers. "I am the man who loves you."

Maria's eyes widened; time seemed to stop all around them. Her voice was almost a breath. "You . . . what?"

Taking a deep breath, Georg gently cupped her face with his hands and never broke his gaze with her. Now his tone was soft, but left no doubt to his sincerity. "I am in love with you, Maria Rainer. I know now I've loved you since the day I met you, though it took me a long time to fully realize it. Whatever path you choose in life, Maria, I need you to know: nothing can stop me from loving you. With all my heart, I do."

Now Maria seemed to freeze, and her voice vanished from her throat for the first time in her life. She closed her eyes and tried to find it, but she couldn't. Completely speechless. She was overwhelmed by what she had just heard, what had just happened. This was too good to be true . . .

Georg seemed to understand the state she was in, and gently wrapped his arms around her, and she collapsed against his body, holding on to him. His warmth surrounded her, and she felt like she was in the warmest, safest cocoon. As he held her, Georg's word echoed in her mind and registered as the truth: _Captain Georg von Trapp is in love with me. _She smiled into his shoulder and held him tight, needing reassurance she was not dreaming, and his arms tightened as well.

How long they stood there, on their little island, just holding each other close as their hearts became one, they didn't know. It could have been forever. But when an owl hooting coincided with a strong breeze, Georg sighed. "It's getting late," he whispered, pulling back to look at her. "We should head back."

Maria sighed, too, and nodded. She still hadn't gotten her voice back, and she felt dazed.

Georg gently kissed the tip of her nose and led her back to the boat, again helping her in. After folding up the blanket, bringing the small anchor back in, and seating himself, Georg began the journey back. They were silent as he rowed them back to the dock, but content. No words needed to be spoken as they looked at each other.

They walked back into the villa, each with an arm around the other, Maria's head on Georg's shoulder.

Once inside, they stopped and faced each other. In the past, when they'd taken walks outside, they'd always parted there, because here their paths separated to opposite sides of the house toward their respective rooms. For the first time, Maria realized that Georg had done this on purpose in order to assure her he would never follow her to her room and give her the wrong impression.

The small revelation made Maria's eyes tear up, and Georg immediately held her to him again, one hand resting on her back and another stroking the back of her neck. "Unfortunately, I must say good-bye now. I'll be gone before you wake up."

Finally, she seemed to find her voice, but all she could say in a small voice was, "I don't want you to go."

Georg kissed her head, and murmured into her hair, "I don't want to go, either. But I promise, I will stay no longer than I need to. I will be thinking of you each day, and dreaming of you each night."

A shiver went up Maria's spine, knowing the same would be true for her. He pulled back, and gently kissed her closed eyes. Bringing his lips to hers, he murmured, "Sweet dreams, my love" and kissed her lips gently, lingering as long as he could before any self-control could escape him, before letting her go.

Their hands were the last to part, and both walked to their rooms without looking back, afraid if they did they would rush into each other's arms and never let go.

Once Maria was in her room and the door was closed, she changed out of her dress and into her nightgown, still in a daze or dream state. Only when in bed did her daze lift and she felt exhaustion catch up with her. She thought over this twenty-second birthday of hers, and concluded it to have been the best day of her life. And the day that had broken the last barrier between her mind and heart.

The last thought in Maria's head and heart before falling into sleep was this: _He is in love with me . . . and I am in love with him._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **_One might be surprised to find where the song "Ce Rêve Bleu" comes from; I know I was familiar with the English version for a very long time. Just go to Youtube and you'll see what I mean. :)_

_I love reviews!_


	10. Chapter 10

_Maria had no idea where she was. Or had she been here before but had no memory of it? Some sort of meadow, that much was clear, but the heavy mists offered no other indicators of a specific location. The air was a bit chilly, and her dress was thin, so she shivered. The wind ruffled the hem and wrapped it round her legs. Was it night or day, or somewhere in between? She couldn't tell, especially with this mist. _

_The wind seemed to have a voice of its own…and was it just her imagination, or was it calling her name? Feeling drawn towards it, Maria walked against the breeze. Some kind of string had wrapped around her heart and was pulling her forward in the most difficult direction. _

"_Maria . . ." She heard her name again, more clearly. And the voice was Georg's. It was so far away, but that didn't mean she couldn't hear the urgency, even desperation in the tone. "Maria!"_

_Now she started in a run, not knowing where on Earth she was going, just following that voice. "Georg?" she called, the wind blowing against her face and body, but she struggled on._

_Again she heard the voice calling her name, over and over, louder and louder. She screamed back, going as fast as she good in the wind, until her foot caught on something and tripped, then –_

Maria woke from her dream with a gasp, and it took her a moment to figure out just where she was. Realizing it was only a nightmare, she exhaled with relief and sank back into the pillows. But exhaustion was fleeting from her quickly, and she knew that efforts to go back to sleep would be futile. Judging from the light coming in from her windows, Maria determined she had about an hour before waking the children, giving her some time to herself. So she stayed in bed, and her mind drifted back to the previous evening and remembered the most poignant moments . . .

"_I am the man who loves you."_

Time really had stopped in that moment, hadn't it? While Dominik had told her and others had hinted at it, it wasn't unti he'd said it himself that she dared believe it to be true. After all that had happened between, especially his mistakes and her journey of self-discovery, Maria knew he would not lie to her. Once he had spoken those words, though she was scared to embrace it at first for fear of her being in a dream, that fact had become engrained in her heart as an absolute truth.

"_I am in love with you, Maria Rainer."_

Maria took a deep breath in order to calm the rapid rising feeling in her chest, as if her heart were flying with joy. Finally, she embraced another absolute truth she had only fully discovered just before she'd fallen asleep: She was in love with Captain Georg Von Trapp. Totally and completely.

"_I know now I've loved you since the day I met you, though it took me a long time to fully realize it."_

How long had she loved him without knowing it? At least since the Laendler, that much was certain. That was the first evening she felt that something had truly changed in her, and the way she viewed him. But then again, there were moments before that when she felt so entirely drawn to him. Times when they would look at each other, and she could hardly breathe. When he had sung "Edelweiss" . . . when he'd asked her to stay that fateful day of the rowboat incident . . . Oh, yes, she'd loved him for a very long time, perhaps even from that first day. Even then, she'd been intrigued and fascinated by this man who did not look at all like a sea captain.

"_Whatever path you choose in life, Maria, I need you to know: nothing can stop me from loving you. With all my heart, I do."_

Maria sat up in bed and covered her heart with her hands. She said to the empty room with her eyes closed, "Oh, Georg . . . I love you too. With all my heart, I do." Tears came to her eyes as she let this absolute truth wash over her. For a moment, she lost herself in the feeling and then prayed in silence.

After a while, Maria got out of the bed and put on her robe. Coming to the closed door to her room, Maria saw an envelope sticking between the door frame and the door, and she remembered: He was in Vienna, and would be gone for a week. Maria felt her heart sink. A week seemed like an eternity now.

Maria pulled it out from the crack and saw her name on the envelope in his familiar handwriting. She quickly opened it and pulled out a small note, which she promptly read:

_Maria,_

_I hope that nothing I said or did last night distressed you or scared you. You seemed speechless for a while, and the last thing I want to do is cause you any discomfort. But I had to tell you what I felt, and it seemed like the right moment. With all you've done for me and my family, how can I feel anything less for you, my love? Perhaps the reason I chose to tell you before leaving is to give you some time to yourself and make your own decision. I don't want to push you or pressure you at all. While I am gone, I will miss you very much, and will think of last night many times: your beautiful voice, the gentle lips you gave me, the feeling of you in my arms, and the blue dream we shared._

_You will always have a home with us, Maria. Think about it. Please._

_All my love, Georg_

As she read the letter, Maria realized that the only person who knew of her own true feelings was herself. He'd opened his heart to her and what had she done? She'd been struck speechless and couldn't tell him anything, other than the fact she didn't want him to go. Pretty weak compared to what he'd said.

Maria instantly felt guilty as she sat back down on the bed. Was he in doubt now? That she would not want to leave at the end of the summer? She sighed and traced her fingers over the handwriting, already missing him. Not only did she know now she loved him, but that she would never be happy without him now.

But, on a deeper level, she was grateful that she was given time to get used to this, and think of how best to tell him how she felt. It had to be perfect – his had sure been. Never in her life would she forget that magical night. _Ce rêve bleu . . ._

Maria sank back onto the bed, pressing his note to her heart and staring at the ceiling. Minutes passed and she watched the morning light spread across the white paint, like the joy in her heart of finally being understood.

_Turn the clock fast, Father, bring him back soon. Please._

* * *

><p><em>One week later . . .<em>

Georg had never packed so fast in his life. At last, this eternally long week was done and he was free to go home. To see his children. To see Maria.

All week long, he'd been able to think of little else than their last night together. It had been so perfect. At last, he'd been able to hold her to him, kiss her lovely lips, and declare his love.

Georg was anxious too; a week away and not seeing her meant that he also thought the worst at times. For the first time since he'd known her, she'd been entirely speechless, and by what he'd told her, no less. Did that mean she did not love him in return? Was she scared of what their love would mean? How her life might change? Oh, thoughts like that were torture at night!

But now that could all be resolved. He was free to go home and see her. That thought alone was enough to make him smile.

After putting his suitcases in the trunk, he got into the car as quickly as he could. The sun had just set, according to his watch. No one could have told that by the dark, storm cloud sky that was pouring rain and a distant storm. Perhaps it would be better to wait until morning . . . but Georg was eager to get home and wanted to waste no time. Besides, he was confident with his driving skills, headlights, and windshield wipers.

Driving through the city wasn't bad at all; plenty of streetlights, lights from buildings and other headlights to guide his way. But once out of the downtown area and on the private, more country-like roads where the rich homes were spread apart, those advantages disappeared.

The rain was coming down in buckets, and the windshield wipers were barely helping. So it sure didn't help when they suddenly stopped working.

Georg cursed and pounded on the lever, but it was no use; they wouldn't budge. Now he could barely see where he was going down this dark road. It would be wise to pull over now and wait for the rain to stop, but Georg just wanted to get home.

Out of the blue, a pair of headlights almost blinded him and honked loudly. Without thinking, Georg turned the car sharply to avoid a crash, but ended up going off the road and onto the muddy ground. He managed to slam down on the breaks when he saw a tree in his path, but not quite fast enough.

A small impact, force from the break slamming him forward into the airbag. A bump, the world went black, and Georg knew no more.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _This marks the end of Act III; one more act to go in my story. Promise not to leave my faithful readers and reviewers in suspense for long!_


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